Top Energy-Efficient Home HVAC Upgrades for 2025

The HVAC industry continues to make great strides in energy efficiency. These more advanced systems deliver lower carbon footprints and reduced heating and cooling costs. Let’s explore the HVAC innovations to consider for your home in 2025.

ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR is a joint program between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DOE sets energy-efficiency standards for manufacturers as legal requirements. The EPA sets even loftier standards. While they aren’t legal requirements, products that meet them get the ENERGY STAR label. That label gives you confidence in your HVAC choices. It’s also a key criterion for many energy incentives, including rebates and tax credits.

Advanced Thermostat Control

The DOE encourages all households to upgrade to advanced thermostat control. A basic programmable thermostat can lower annual cooling and heating costs by up to 10%. This is possible through automatic temperature scheduling along with features like modes and profiles. Smart thermostats add Wi-Fi capabilities that allow for remote access and control. Many models have additional smart features that can help you save even more:

• Cloud computing
• Machine learning
• Occupancy sensing
• Peak rate awareness
• Predictive maintenance
• Remote temperature sensors
• Demand response participation
• Energy use monitoring and reporting

Duct Sealing

Central systems are the most common approach to home HVAC in the U.S. Those systems rely on ducts to distribute conditioned air throughout the home. Even in new ducts, there will be some air leakage, which undermines energy efficiency, comfort, and air quality. The DOE estimates air leakage is between 20% and 40% in older duct systems.

If you have older ducts in poor condition, it may be best to replace them. If the air leakage is solely due to worn seals, there’s a more cost-effective solution. The EPA funded the development of a duct-sealing technique that uses a non-toxic aerosol. This process can reduce leakage as high as 40% to less than 5%. That can make a dramatic difference in your carbon footprint and operating costs.

Mechanical Ventilation Systems

Most homes rely entirely on passive ventilation, and the HVAC system simply recirculates the air already in the home. This can be problematic in summer and winter when a home has a tight seal. The solution is to install a mechanical ventilation system, such as a whole-house fan. Ventilation fans improve comfort and air quality.

They can also improve energy efficiency. You can rely on your whole-house fan rather than your air conditioner (AC) until much later in the cooling season. There are also advanced whole-house fans that you can run during winter as well for better efficiency. Heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) extract heat before exhausting air and use it to preheat the incoming fresh air. Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) are similar to HRVs but also infuse the incoming air with moisture to avoid dryness.

High-Efficiency Central Air Conditioning

The DOE uses the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) to measure the energy efficiency of cooling systems. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the AC. SEER2 is a new version that’s even more informative when considering central AC because it accounts for air leakage. The minimum SEER and SEER2 depend on your region. The DOE organizes the U.S. into three zones for HVAC efficiency: North, Southeast, and Southwest. The SEER2 minimum in the Southeast region, which includes Texas, is 14.3. That said, there are central ACs with much higher ratings. Many experts agree that installing an AC with a SEER2 between 16 and 19 is the sweet spot for most households.

Whole-Home Humidity Control

The EPA recommends maintaining an indoor relative humidity (RH) between 30% and 60%. Maintaining an optimal RH will make you feel comfortable at a warmer temperature in summer and a cooler temperature in winter. Add a dehumidifier to lower RH in summer and a humidifier to increase it in winter. Dehumidifiers are particularly notable when it comes to energy efficiency. Even though they use electricity, your AC won’t have to work as hard, and there will be net energy savings.

High-Efficiency Furnaces

The most common HVAC setup in the U.S. pairs a central AC with a forced-air furnace. Electric furnaces are highly efficient but can be expensive to run due to electricity rates. Most homes have a furnace that burns fuel instead, such as natural gas, fuel oil, or liquid propane. A problem with traditional furnaces is that they can lose significant heat through their flues. Modern standard models limit this loss to about 20% of the fuel burned overall.

High-efficiency models, also called condensing furnaces, cut this loss to about 10% or less. This is possible with an additional heat exchanger. The role of the second exchanger is to extract heat from the toxic gases before venting them outside the home. Some models also have multi-stage or variable-speed blowers. That allows the furnace to ramp up and down as needed rather than run at a constant speed all the time.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are among the most efficient HVAC options on the market. The adoption rate is very high, and heat pumps outsold furnaces for the first time in the U.S. in 2023. Heat pumps are similar to ACs. The primary difference is that they can run the refrigeration process in reverse to provide heat. There are geothermal heat pumps you can run year-round in all climates. 

Ground- and water-source heat pumps can be expensive but deliver an excellent return on investment. There are high-efficiency air-source heat pumps you can run year-round in most climates. You can also opt for a dual-fuel heat pump, also called hybrid heating. This is where you pair a mid-efficiency heat pump with a mid-efficiency furnace.

Ductless Mini-Splits

Mini-splits are ACs and heat pumps that don’t require ducts, which is an inherently more efficient approach. These systems have a separate indoor air handler for each zone in the home.

Zoning Systems

The DOE estimates that HVAC zoning can save the average household up to 30% on cooling and heating. A zone control system organizes a home’s HVAC into separate zones that you can cool and heat independently. Mini-splits are one example of this approach and are suitable as standalone HVAC systems. Homeowners can add a mini-split to a central system, such as for zoned bedrooms. You can also upgrade the central system itself with zoning. That includes systems with heat pumps, ACs, and furnaces. The upgrades required include smart thermostats with zone control, a variable-speed air handler, and duct dampers.

High-Efficiency Boilers

Boilers are as popular as furnaces in colder climates but less so in warmer ones. If you opt for a fuel-burning boiler, you can choose a condensing model as you can with furnaces. You can also opt for radiant floor panels in certain rooms or throughout your home. These panels provide among the most even heating available and are an inherently zoned approach.

Energy-Efficient HVAC Installation in Weatherford

Lightfoot Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical has served Weatherford, TX and the surrounding areas since 1983. We’re a proud ACCA member that employs NATE-certified technicians. Our technicians install, maintain, and repair all HVAC technologies. That includes smart thermostats, zone control systems, mini-splits, heat pumps, furnaces, ACs, and much more. Our repair technicians are on call around the clock for emergencies. We also offer maintenance memberships that are convenient while saving you money and helping you avoid repairs. For further details about our services and products, contact Lightfoot today.