Choosing the perfect HVAC system for your home is a multistep dance involving the careful selection of several key variables to guarantee efficient and comfortable heating and cooling year-round. The size of your home and the number of its windows are prime factors that influence not only the type and model but also the capacity and power of the HVAC unit(s) needed to condition the space. A unit too small will struggle to keep up with demand; too large, and it will short-cycle (turn on and off too frequently) or otherwise waste energy and money, kind of like a hungry hippo when put next to too few coins. A properly sized unit, then, is the first recommendation for the right kind of system, leading to the aforementioned efficiencies in energy and money when it comes to using the system.
Your home's comfort largely depends on having the right kind of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system—the type that performs well in your local climate. "Selection of an HVAC system is heavily influenced by the heating and cooling loads of the building, which are the direct result of local climate conditions," said Robert McCullough, director of energy services at Portland, Oregon-based consulting firm McCullough Research. Indeed, the local climate is the lead actor in the HVAC-selection drama; it's what determines the heat and cooling load over the year, or what's needed to preserve comfortable living conditions indoors. "If I were to design a building in the Midwest, it would have a different set of loads and therefore require a different system than the same building would have if it were built in, say, southern California," McCullough noted.
The energy efficiency of the HVAC system is another factor to consider, and it is a crucial one because it directly affects the long-term operational (or life-cycle) costs, as well as the system's environmental footprint. Energy-efficient models tend to have a higher first cost but pay back that investment many times over in the form of lower energy bills. The savings they generate are significant enough that many utilities now offer rebates for purchasing these models. You should be looking for a system with a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) for cooling, a high Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) for heating, and if your budget allows, a smart thermostat or zoning capability that makes it possible to precisely control the temperature in different areas of your home.