Cost Savings With HVAC vs. Window Units

HVAC

• An HVAC system combines the needs for both heating and cooling in a home. It is a single system that you can monitor and adjust to leverage opportunities for savings, versus having to monitor and manipulate one system for cooling and another for heating. An HVAC system provides centralized heating and cooling so that the indoor temperatures are consistent. You can also set up an HVAC system with individual thermostats for various rooms, so that the cooling or heating temperature can be higher or lower, to monitor and lower energy use and costs.

Window Unit

• Window units are used primarily as air conditioners for cooling air. The units are most often used as a primary appliance for cooling in a small space or individual room. However, there are also portable terminal air conditioner (PTAC) window units that provide both heating and cooling, mimicking the dual capabilities of an HVAC system. PTAC units are commonly used in hotels and commercial buildings and are growing in residential applications. Window units, including PTAC units, allow you to contain energy use and consumption to one area or zone, to monitor and control energy costs.

HVAC Cost Savings

• An HVAC system is an efficient means to heat and cool an entire home. You can set the thermostat to a desired temperature, and the system will turn on and off to maintain that temperature consistently, 24 hours per day. You can also monitor times of use and the thermostat setting to lower use during peak hours to lower electricity consumption and charges. However, an HVAC system is costlier to install in comparison to window systems, because it is a “whole home” application and requires installing ductwork and vents to transfer and deliver warm or cool air to multiple rooms. As a result, the savings are based on the ability to deliver cool air throughout the entire home. An HVAC system also delivers warm air and heating, which is a capability that conventional window air conditioners cannot provide.

Window Unit Cost Savings

• Window air conditioners provide owners with the flexibility to cool one specific area at a time. This can result in maximized savings if whole home cooling and heating is not necessary in certain hours of the day. For example, you can turn on a window air conditioning unit in a main room, such as a living room, and cool only that particular room during the afternoon and evening hours, versus running a whole home HVAC system for 24 hours a day. You can also install window units in other rooms, such as bedrooms, and use them as a supplement to an overall HVAC system when a room is occupied and cooling the room is needed. As a result, window units can be used to provide zone cooling when needed, so you can decrease energy use and lower your electric bill. Basic window air conditioners can be purchased for under $200 at the time of publication versus a “from-scratch” HVAC system that could cost $5,000 and more.