Case Study: Gas-to-Heat-Pump Upgrade Near Fontenelle Forest, Bellevue
This case study documents a heat pump upgrade for a Bellevue home adjacent to Fontenelle Forest, the 2,000-acre nature reserve on the Missouri River bluffs that’s the largest privately owned nature preserve in Nebraska. The customer chose to retire their functional gas furnace and AC in favor of a cold-climate heat pump system, motivated by environmental considerations and the substantial federal tax credit for qualifying heat pump installations. The 2,800 sq ft 2010 home was particularly well-suited for heat pump operation given its tight envelope characteristics and modern construction.
Customer Situation
The property is a 2010 two-story home in the bluff-side residential area adjacent to Fontenelle Forest, 2,800 sq ft on a 14,500 sq ft wooded lot. The Fontenelle Forest area features substantial mature tree canopy and natural area views from many residential properties. The customers (couple in their late 40s with one teenage child, both with professional environmental careers) had owned the home for 6 years and were motivated to reduce their household carbon footprint as part of broader environmental commitments.
Existing equipment:
- 2010 Lennox 90% AFUE gas furnace, 80K Btu/hr, original installation, 14 years old, operating well
- 2010 Lennox 16 SEER R-410A AC, 3 ton, 14 years old, operating well
- Equipment in mid-life with substantial remaining useful service possible
- No equipment failure motivating replacement
Motivations for proactive heat pump conversion:
- Environmental commitment to reduce on-site fossil fuel combustion
- Take advantage of federal Section 25C tax credit ($2,000 cap for qualifying heat pumps)
- Take advantage of OPPD heat pump rebates
- Tight-envelope construction (2010 home with substantial insulation) well-suited for heat pump operation
- Adjacent natural area emphasized customer’s environmental priorities
Diagnostic Assessment and Heat Pump Suitability Analysis
Consultation by Jess Sandoval (Install Lead, 11 years, Manual D specialty). Assessment focused on heat pump suitability for Omaha climate and the home’s specific characteristics.
Home Energy Performance
- 2010 tight-envelope construction: R-21 walls, R-49 attic insulation, modern thermal-break windows
- 200-amp electrical service standard for 2010 construction
- Manual J load calculation: 50,000-55,000 Btu/hr heating, 2.5 ton cooling (smaller than 80K furnace and 3 ton AC; original equipment was somewhat oversized)
- Tight envelope characteristics enable heat pump primary heating effectively
- Ductwork sized appropriately for heat pump operation (variable-speed airflow requirements compatible)
Cold-Climate Heat Pump Capability
- Omaha ASHRAE 99% winter design temperature: -4°F
- Cold-climate heat pumps maintain rated capacity to substantially below freezing
- Carrier 25VNA0 Greenspeed Infinity rated for heating to -15°F (well below Omaha design conditions)
- Electric resistance backup heat handles any brief periods of extreme cold below heat pump capacity
- Historical Omaha cold extremes: 2019 polar vortex reached -22°F, requiring backup heat operation; such periods are brief
Equipment Selection
- Carrier 25VNA0 Greenspeed Infinity heat pump — variable-capacity inverter, up to 24 SEER2 cooling and 13 HSPF2 heating, rated heating capacity to -15°F, 2.5 ton size (right-sized to actual load)
- Carrier FE air handler — variable-speed ECM motor matched to heat pump capacity, electric resistance backup heat (15 kW) for extreme cold conditions
- Carrier Infinity communicating thermostat — smartphone control, advanced scheduling, smart-home integration
- Existing ductwork retained — already properly sized; no modifications needed
Installation Execution
Standard residential heat pump installation, completed over single 9-hour day:
- Morning — Equipment delivery. Existing furnace and AC removal (R-410A refrigerant recovered to EPA Section 608 standards; gas line capped). Outdoor heat pump unit installation on existing AC pad with vibration isolation appropriate for variable-capacity equipment.
- Midday — Air handler installation in mechanical room replacing existing furnace location; electric resistance backup heat installation in air handler; refrigerant line set installation (replacing existing R-410A line set with new A2L-compatible line set since R-454B refrigerant requires compatible piping); electrical connections including 15 kW backup heat circuit.
- Afternoon — Carrier Infinity thermostat installation and commissioning; smart-home integration setup with customer’s existing automation; system startup and refrigerant charging; performance testing across heating and cooling modes; customer walkthrough.
Results
- Heat pump primary heating — all-electric heating eliminating on-site natural gas combustion
- Cold-climate operation — rated heating capacity to -15°F well below Omaha design conditions; first winter confirmed effective operation throughout most of season with backup heat engaging during 3 days of extreme cold below -10°F
- Right-sized equipment — 2.5 ton heat pump matched to actual load vs prior 3 ton AC + 80K furnace
- Smart-home integration — Carrier Infinity integrated with existing home automation
- Operating cost — first 12 months operating cost approximately equivalent to gas furnace + AC operation, but with environmental benefit of no on-site combustion
- Federal Section 25C tax credit — $2,000 (30% × $2,000 cap for qualifying cold-climate heat pump)
- OPPD heat pump rebate — $1,200 for cold-climate variable-capacity equipment
- Customer environmental satisfaction — substantial appreciation for aligning HVAC with broader environmental commitments
Pricing
Total project cost: $15,800
- Carrier 25VNA0 Greenspeed Infinity heat pump (2.5 ton): $6,800
- Carrier FE air handler with 15 kW backup heat: $2,800
- Carrier Infinity communicating thermostat: $785
- New A2L-compatible refrigerant line set: $585
- Electrical work for backup heat circuit: $385
- R-410A refrigerant recovery and gas line capping: $285
- Installation labor (9 hours): $2,485
- Smart-home integration: $385
- Materials, supplies, miscellaneous: $1,295
Net cost after rebates and credits:
- Project cost: $15,800
- OPPD heat pump rebate: -$1,200
- Federal Section 25C tax credit: -$2,000
- Net cost: $12,600
First-Year Operating Performance
- Heating season: heat pump primary operation for 95% of heating hours; backup electric heat engaged during 3 days of extreme cold (below -10°F)
- Total backup heat operation: 22 hours over the heating season (minimal contribution to operating cost despite higher electric resistance heating cost during operation)
- Cooling season: variable-capacity operation produced longer steady-state cycles with substantially better humidity removal compared to single-stage equipment
- Overall operating cost: approximately equivalent to gas furnace + AC operation (gas savings offset by electric heating costs during winter)
- Environmental: zero on-site fossil fuel combustion for heating; grid-supplied electricity
- Customer reported satisfaction with comfort, particularly the smooth variable-capacity operation
Lessons from This Project
- Modern tight-envelope homes (post-2000 construction with R-21+ walls and R-49+ attic) are particularly well-suited for cold-climate heat pump primary heating
- Customer environmental motivations can produce excellent HVAC outcomes when combined with appropriate equipment selection
- Federal Section 25C tax credit ($2,000 cap) and OPPD rebates substantially reduce net cost of qualifying heat pump installations
- Electric backup heat handles extreme cold periods that exceed heat pump capacity; minimal seasonal contribution despite higher operating cost during use
- Variable-capacity heat pumps provide superior comfort to single-stage equipment through extended steady-state operation
- Right-sizing equipment based on Manual J produces better outcomes than maintaining original equipment sizing
Contact Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning
For Fontenelle Forest area heat pump conversion, environmental HVAC consultation, gas-to-electric heating transition, or cold-climate heat pump installation, call our 24/7 line.
- Emergency Line (24/7): (402) 258-6703
- MUD Gas Emergency: 402-554-7777 (suspected gas leaks)
- 911: for CO detector alarms or fire/smoke situations
- Address: Lake Regency Building, 450 Regency Pkwy #370, Omaha, NE 68114
- Email: info@omahaheatingairconditioning.xyz
- City of Omaha Mechanical Contractor License: #MC-2014-08847
- EPA Section 608 Universal: #608U-2014-227841