THE KEY
BENEFITS OF GOING DUCTLESS By Jeff Baldwin, Regional Account Manager at Reliance Home Comfort BC Hydro also has significant rebate programs in place that make this upgrade more financially manageable and the ROI that much quicker.
THE PROBLEM
Do your units have electric baseboard heating? If so, you’re missing out on potential energy and cost savings that come from a ductless heat pump solution. With flexible installation and placement options, offering winter heating and summer cooling, a growing number of rental property owners are turning to ductless heat pumps as a smart way to increase revenues through greater value to renters while reducing energy costs. Having been on the market for more than 50 years now, ductless heat pumps have evolved through enhanced technology, features and functionality. Fifty years ago, around the time that LandlordBC was founded, those early generation ductless heat pumps were known for being bulky, difficult to install, and expensive, but this is all changing and their future couldn’t be brighter (and more efficient!).
The electric baseboard heater was invented almost a century ago and provides heat by using electricity to warm a metal coil. When cool air hits the coil, it is heated and then naturally rises into the room. In many homes, electric baseboards represent up to 44 per cent of the annual cost of electricity because they are in a constant, costintensive battle with cold air. “With the aging stock of rental properties across Canada, we’re seeing a growing number of owners searching for ways to upgrade their properties to ensure energy savings, comfort and safety,” says Louie Papanicolopoulos, director of property management at Reliance Home Comfort. “When they install a ductless heat pump solution, they’ve effectively found a way to help save on electricity costs and add air conditioning to their units for greater comfort to their tenants, a sure way to maximize rental income.”
NEW AND EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES
Popular around the world, ductless heat pump systems work by
550 17,500
22 | FALL 2020
