Ductless Mini-Splits Keep Tenants Comfortable All Year for Less

People are spending more time at home than ever, and they want their environment to be comfortable regardless of the temperature outdoors.

If your tenants have said it’s difficult to regulate the temperature, then it’s time to assess your current heating and cooling needs and how to best meet them. One potential option that improves heating and cooling consistency and lowers utility bills: ductless mini-splits.

What is a ductless mini-split, and why would I want to install one?

Ductless mini-splits are a modern alternative to ducted central air and furnace systems. They’re often easier to install than other HVAC solutions. Ductwork can be difficult and expensive to install and takes up a lot of space. Mini-splits require minimal changes to your building and the outdoor unit can be placed up to 50 feet away from the indoor unit—which gives you greater design flexibility.

You can depend on mini-splits to provide effective heating and cooling to your units all year. With this product, there’s no need to have separate AC and heating systems as they have both capabilities. They are designed to heat and cool individual rooms as opposed to entire homes. This makes them more energy efficient than standard ducted central air systems because unoccupied spaces won’t be heated or cooled unnecessarily.

Like whole-house systems, ductless mini-splits clean indoor air using filters that catch particulates. Unlike other solutions, they remove humidity via evaporator coils that collect condensate.

Ductless mini-splits are useful in all seasons

In the summer months, extreme outdoor temperatures can be dangerous for tenants who can’t maintain a cool home. If your central air systems can’t keep up or your units don’t have air conditioning at all, mini-splits help keep your tenants safe and comfortable. During the winter, tenants without adequate heating might turn to space heaters. Not only does this pose a fire risk but tenants who depend on space heaters also increase the amount of energy your property consumes.

Ductless mini-splits are easy to install

Installing new or replacing your current ductwork is an expensive undertaking that requires professional contractors, and the project will likely disturb tenants. Mini splits, on the other hand, are much simpler to install. The units are generally mounted to the wall or suspended from the ceiling, and a contractor may not be necessary if you have maintenance staff. Ductless mini split units are compact, and you’ll avoid having to add new ductwork you’d need for a central forced-air system.

Ductless mini-splits avoid excessive energy loss

As air is distributed throughout a space via central forced-air systems ductwork, energy can escape due to leakage. And if your ductwork is in an unconditioned space like an attic, your system will require more energy to achieve the desired temperature. In these situations, the Department of Energy estimates energy loss from ducts can account for more than 30% of energy consumption for space conditioning. With the absence of ducts, air is cooled or heated and circulated more efficiently.

PG&E® multifamily gas or electric customers can obtain cash rebates when they purchase new energy-efficient equipment like ductless mini-splits or technology through the Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program (MESP). This program helps property owners and managers invest in energy-saving solutions at a lower cost.

Reach out to the MESP team to learn how much you can save when purchasing new ductless mini-split heat pumps for your multifamily property.

Posted November 18th, 2022