This page provides acquisition guidance for buying residential air-source heat pumps. Federal laws and requirements mandate that agencies purchase ENERGY STAR®-certified products or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)-designated products for all covered product categories except as specifically exempted by law. FEMP's acquisition guidance and associated ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements for residential air-source heat pumps apply to single package and split system models that operate on single-phase current and have cooling capacities less than 65,000 Btu/hour. Models that operate on three-phase electric current are excluded.
This acquisition guidance was updated in December 2024.
How To Find Product Efficiency Requirements
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides residential air-source heat pump program requirements and efficiency criteria on the ENERGY STAR website. Manufacturers meeting these requirements are allowed to display the ENERGY STAR label on complying models. Federal buyers can use ENERGY STAR's list of certified residential air-source heat pumps to identify or verify complying models.
To reflect the influence of climate on heat pump use, EPA specifies efficiency levels for air-source heat pumps in three regions: Southeast, Southwest and Northern, which effectively includes all states outside of those with hot/dry or hot/humid climates.
How To Determine Cost Effectiveness
An efficient product is cost effective when the lifetime energy savings exceed the up-front cost premium (if any) compared to a less efficient option. You can find more information about determining life cycle cost effectiveness on our general guidance page.
Federal buyers may find the most relevant guidance in Tables 1-3 below based on the planned location of the installation. Each example compares the life cycle cost savings of a base model (less efficient than the ENERGY STAR required efficiency), a model meeting the ENERGY STAR efficiency and a model with the highest available efficiency.
Take Five: Buying a Heat Pump
The Take Five training series has you covered in five minutes with trainings in buying clean, efficient goods and services for the federal government. The first training in the series focuses on air source heat pumps. View Transcript
Video courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy
Example 1: Hot-Humid/Southeast States
FEMP has calculated that the required ENERGY STAR-qualified residential air-source heat pump saves money if priced no more than $771 (in 2023 dollars) above the less efficient model. The best available model saves up to $5,533 (or $4,762 above the required model).
Table 1. Lifetime Savings for Efficient Residential Air-Source Heath Pump Models in Hot-Humid/Southeast States1
| Performance | Best Available | ENERGY STAR | Less Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEER2/HSPF22 | 24/11 | 15.2/7.8 | 14.3/7.5 |
| Annual Energy Use—Heating and Cooling (kWh) | 7,683 kWh | 11,660 kWh | 12,304 kWh |
| Annual Energy Cost—Heating and Cooling ($) | $846 | $1,283 | $1,354 |
| Lifetime Energy Cost (15 years) | $9,202 | $13,964 | $14,735 |
| Lifetime Energy Cost Savings | $5,533 | $771 | ====== |
1 Hot-humid/Southeast states include: The states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories.
2 Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy changed the way HVAC systems are tested and updated the national standards for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) and Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). With this change, new rating values and nomenclature are used to denote the efficiency ratings—HSPF2 (heating efficiency) and SEER2 (cooling efficiency). See definition in 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 430, Subpart B, Appendix M and M1.
Energy Use and Cost Assumptions
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER2): Shown in British thermal units per watt-hour (Btu/Wh).
Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF2): Shown in British thermal units per watt-hour (Btu/Wh).
Annual Energy Use: Based on the test method referenced in 10 CFR 430, Subpart B, Appendix M for a 36,000 Btu/h residential air-source heat pump operated 3,259 cooling mode hours and 854 heating mode hours per year as seen in the 2016 Technical Support Document: Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Product: Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps.
Annual Energy Cost: Calculated based on an assumed electricity price of 11¢/kWh, which is the average electricity price at federal facilities throughout the United States as of July 2024. Learn more about Federal Government Energy/Water Use and Emissions data.
Lifetime Energy Cost: The sum of the discounted values of annual energy cost with an average residential air-source heat pump life of 15 years. Future electricity price trends and a 3% discount rate are from Annual Supplement to NIST Handbook 135, Energy Price Indices and Discount Factors for Life Cycle Cost Analysis – 2024 (NISTIR 85-3273-39).
Lifetime Energy Cost Savings: The difference between the lifetime energy cost of the identified models.Model Efficiency Level
Best Available: Based on the model with the highest efficiency in the ENERGY STAR Qualified Products List as of December 2024. More efficient models may have entered the market after FEMP's acquisition guidance was created.
ENERGY STAR®: Calculated based on December 2024 ENERGY STAR efficiency levels; values shown are rounded to the nearest dollar. Federal agencies must purchase products that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR efficiency levels.
Less Efficient: Based on the model with the lowest efficiency from market data collected by ENERGY STAR. Note energy savings will vary depending on actual usage.
Example 2: Hot-Dry/Southwest States
FEMP has calculated that the required ENERGY STAR-qualified residential air-source heat pump saves money if priced no more than $728 (in 2023 dollars) above the less efficient model. The best available model shown below saves up to $5,177 (or $4,449 above the required model).
Table 2. Lifetime Savings for Efficient Residential Air-Source Heat Pump Models in Hot-Dry/Southwest States3
| Performance | Best Available | ENERGY STAR | Less Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEER2/HSPF24 | 24/11 | 15.2/7.8 | 14.3/7.5 |
| Annual Energy Use—Heating and Cooling (kWh) | 7,029 kWh | 10,743 kWh | 11,352 kWh |
| Annual Energy Cost—Heating and Cooling ($) | $774 | $1,183 | $1,250 |
| Lifetime Energy Cost (15 years) | $8,418 | $12,866 | $13,595 |
| Lifetime Energy Cost Savings | $5,177 | $728 | ====== |
3Hot-dry/Southwest states include: The states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico.
4Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy changed the way HVAC systems are tested and updated the national standards for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) and Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). With this change, new rating values and nomenclature are used to denote the efficiency ratings—HSPF2 (heating efficiency) and SEER2 (cooling efficiency). See definition in 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 430, Subpart B, Appendix M and M1.
Energy Use and Cost Assumptions
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER2): Shown in British thermal units per watt-hour (Btu/Wh).
Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF2): Shown in British thermal units per watt-hour (Btu/Wh).
Annual Energy Use: Based on the test method referenced in 10 CFR 430, Subpart B, Appendix M for a 36,000 Btu/h residential air-source heat pump operated 3,285 cooling mode hours and 642 heating mode hours per year as seen in the 2016 Technical Support Document: Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Product: Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps.
Annual Energy Cost: Calculated based on an assumed electricity price of 11¢/kWh, which is the average electricity price at federal facilities throughout the United States as of July 2024. Learn more about Federal Government Energy/Water Use and Emissions data.
Lifetime Energy Cost: The sum of the discounted values of annual energy cost with an average residential air-source heat pump life of 15 years. Future electricity price trends and a 3% discount rate are from Annual Supplement to NIST Handbook 135, Energy Price Indices and Discount Factors for Life Cycle Cost Analysis – 2024 (NISTIR 85-3273-39).
Lifetime Energy Cost Savings: The difference between the lifetime energy cost of the identified models.
Model Efficiency Levels
Best Available: Based on the model with the highest efficiency in the ENERGY STAR Qualified Products List as of December 2024. More efficient models may have entered the market after FEMP's acquisition guidance was created.
ENERGY STAR: Calculated based on the December 2024 ENERGY STAR efficiency levels; values shown are rounded to the nearest dollar. Federal agencies must purchase products that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR efficiency levels.
Less Efficient: Based on the model with the lowest efficiency from market data collected by ENERGY STAR. Note energy savings will vary depending on actual usage.
Example 3: Northern States
FEMP has calculated that the required ENERGY STAR-qualified residential air-source heat pump saves money if priced no more than $707 (in 2023 dollars) above the less efficient model. The best available model saves up to $5,243 (or $4,536 above the required model).
Table 3. Lifetime Savings for Efficient Residential Air-Source Heat Pump Models5
| Performance | Best Available | ENERGY STAR | Less Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEER2/HSPF26 | 24/11 | 15.2/7.8 | 14.3/7.5 |
| Annual Energy Use—Heating and Cooling (kWh) | 7,394 kWh | 10,990 kWh | 11,551 kWh |
| Annual Energy Cost—Heating and Cooling ($) | $814 | $1,210 | $1,271 |
| Lifetime Energy Cost (15 years) | $9,328 | $13,864 | $14,571 |
| Lifetime Energy Cost Savings | $5,243 | $707 | ====== |
5Northern States include: All states not included in the hot-humid and hot-dry states.
6Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy changed the way HVAC systems are tested and updated the national standards for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) and Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). With this change, new rating values and nomenclature are used to denote the efficiency ratings—HSPF2 (heating efficiency) and SEER2 (cooling efficiency). See definition in 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 430, Subpart B, Appendix M and M1.
Energy Use and Cost Assumptions
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER2): Shown in British thermal units per watt-hour (Btu/Wh).
Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF2): Shown in British thermal units per watt-hour (Btu/Wh).
Annual Energy Use: Based on the test method referenced in 10 CFR 430, Subpart B, Appendix M for a 36,000 Btu/h residential air-source heat pump operated 2,222 cooling mode hours and 1,241 heating mode hours per year as seen in the 2016 Technical Support Document: Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Product: Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps.
Annual Energy Cost: Calculated based on an assumed electricity price of 11¢/kWh, which is the average electricity price at federal facilities throughout the United States as of July 2024. Learn more about Federal Government Energy/Water Use and Emissions data.
Lifetime Energy Cost: The sum of the discounted values of annual energy cost with an average residential air-source heat pump life of 15 years. Future electricity price trends and a 3% discount rate are from Annual Supplement to NIST Handbook 135, Energy Price Indices and Discount Factors for Life Cycle Cost Analysis – 2024 (NISTIR 85-3273-39).
Lifetime Energy Cost Savings: The difference between the lifetime energy cost of the identified models.
Model Efficiency Levels
Best Available: Based on the model with the highest efficiency in the ENERGY STAR Qualified Products List as of December 2024. More efficient models may have entered the market after FEMP's acquisition guidance was created.
ENERGY STAR: Calculated based on the December 2024 ENERGY STAR efficiency levels; values shown are rounded to the nearest dollar. Federal agencies must purchase products that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR efficiency levels.
Less Efficient: Based on the model with the lowest efficiency from market data collected by ENERGY STAR. Note energy savings will vary depending on actual usage.
Air-Source Heat Pump Cost Calculator
Local climate conditions particularly affect air-source heat pumps because the units use outdoor air as both a heat source and heat sink. An advantage of air-source heat pumps is that one system can provide both space heating and cooling in a building. Heat pumps work well in hot/dry and mixed (or moderate) climates. Cold climates require specially designed heat pumps that can operate at lower ambient temperatures before switching to resistance heating.
Users who wish to determine a product's cost-effectiveness for their application may do so using the ENERGY STAR residential heating and cooling system cost savings calculator.
Where To Buy Compliant Products
Buyers can make sure the product they purchase will be compliant by incorporating federal acquisition regulation language into contracts. Compliant products can also be found using federal supply sources and product codes. See our general guidance page for more details on buying compliant energy-using products.
Residential Air-Source Heat Pump Product Codes
The Defense Logistics Agency Environmental Attribute Code (ENAC) identifies items with energy characteristics that meet standards set by an approved third party, such as FEMP and ENERGY STAR. Purchasers can also use a United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) to identify and buy products and to track purchases.
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) ENAC for residential air-source heat pumps is LE.
The UNSPSC for residential air-source heat pumps is 40101806.
Other Tips for Choosing and Using the Best Product Efficiently
Tips for Selecting and Installing Heat Pumps
When buying directly from commercial sources, look for the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) and heating season performance factor (HSPF) on the yellow EnergyGuide label required on these products. As shown in Tables 1-3, ENERGY STAR-qualified products need less power to operate. Buyers can use these tables as a guide when replacing standard residential air-source heat pumps with more efficient products.
Federal buyers should require that air-source heat pumps are installed in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) – 2015: HVAC Quality Installation Specification. Installation problems like oversizing, improper charging, and leaky ducts result in efficiency losses, occupant discomfort, and shortened equipment life. Requiring the contractor to follow the quality installation guidelines will assure that these and other problems are addressed and that the energy and cost savings are achieved.
Refrigerants with ozone destroying hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were commonly used in heat pumps. When retiring models that contain HCFCs, the Clean Air Act requires that certified technicians recover the refrigerant on-site and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner.
Many states and electric utilities offer rebates or other incentives for the purchase of ENERGY STAR-qualified products. Use the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder to see if your local utility offers these incentives.
Tips for Using Heat Pumps More Efficiently
When installed, operated, and maintained properly, energy-efficient residential air-source heat pumps provide years of safe and effective service. Federal users should be aware of the following user tips.
Residential heat pumps are frequently selected based on their cooling capacity. To make up for deficiencies with the heating capacity, electric resistance elements are typically added. Because of the inefficient nature of these heating elements, their use should be kept to a minimum. Consider using a programmable thermostat to minimize unnecessary operation of the unit. Thermostats specifically designed for heat pumps, which ramp the temperature up slowly to avoid activating the electric resistance heating elements, should be installed.
Regular maintenance (e.g., charging refrigerant and replacing filters) is necessary to maintain peak performance.