Case Study: New Construction Premium HVAC Installation in Southport, La Vista
This case study documents premium HVAC installation for a 2024 new construction home in Southport, the newer residential development on the south side of La Vista. The project replaced the builder’s standard furnace-and-AC specification with cold-climate heat pump primary heating, electric backup, HRV mechanical ventilation, and premium tier equipment selection appropriate for the home’s tight-envelope construction and the customer’s long-term ownership intent. Total project cost $18,500 net of substantial federal tax credit and OPPD rebates.
Customer Situation
The property is a 2024 new construction two-story home in Southport development, 2,650 sq ft on a 9,500 sq ft lot with attached two-car garage. The customers (professional couple in their early 40s with two children ages 9 and 12) had worked with the builder during construction to allow HVAC equipment upgrade from builder’s standard specification before final completion. Builder agreed to substitute upgraded equipment with credit applied to original contract.
Customer objectives:
- Heat pump primary heating reducing natural gas dependency
- Cold-climate capability for Omaha winter conditions
- HRV mechanical ventilation for tight-envelope home
- Premium equipment selection for long-term ownership (planned 25+ years)
- Right-sized equipment based on tight-envelope characteristics
- Smart-home integration with whole-house automation
Builder Coordination and Equipment Selection
Coordination led by Jess Sandoval (Install Lead, 11 years, Manual D specialty) including builder coordination during construction phase.
Builder’s Original Specification
- 90% AFUE 80K Btu/hr gas furnace
- 14 SEER 3 ton AC
- Standard programmable thermostat
- No HRV/ERV (despite tight-envelope construction)
- Builder credit for original specification: approximately $7,500 applied to substituted equipment
Property Characteristics
- 2024 tight-envelope construction
- R-23 walls, R-49 attic insulation, modern thermal-break windows
- 200-amp electrical service standard for new construction
- Ductwork installed by builder per original specification (adequate for variable-speed equipment)
- Manual J load calculation: 48,000-52,000 Btu/hr heating, 2.5 ton cooling (smaller than builder’s specification)
Premium Equipment Selection
- Carrier 25VNA0 Greenspeed Infinity heat pump — variable-capacity inverter, 24 SEER2 cooling, 13 HSPF2 heating, rated heating to -15°F, 2.5 ton right-sized to actual load
- Carrier FE air handler with 15 kW electric backup — variable-speed ECM motor, electric resistance backup for extreme cold
- Carrier Infinity communicating thermostat — advanced scheduling, smart-home integration, smartphone control
- Aprilaire E80 HRV — fresh air ventilation appropriate for tight envelope, heat recovery for energy efficiency
- Aprilaire 213 MERV-13 5-inch deep filter cabinet — superior particulate filtration
Installation Execution
Coordinated installation during builder’s final phase before customer move-in. Single 10-hour day given coordination with builder schedule:
- Morning — Builder-installed furnace and AC removed (with builder coordination); air handler positioning in mechanical room; ductwork connections verified for variable-speed airflow requirements
- Midday — Outdoor heat pump unit installation on concrete pad; refrigerant line set installation; electrical work including 15 kW backup heat circuit; HRV installation in attic with fresh air supply and exhaust ducting
- Afternoon — Aprilaire 5-inch filter cabinet installation replacing builder’s 1″ filter slot; Carrier Infinity thermostat installation and commissioning; smart-home integration setup; system startup; performance testing across heating, cooling, and ventilation modes
Results
- All-electric heating and cooling — cold-climate heat pump primary, electric backup for extreme cold
- HRV fresh air ventilation — mechanical ventilation appropriate for tight envelope, heat recovery preserving thermal energy
- Right-sized equipment — 2.5 ton heat pump matched to actual load vs builder’s 3 ton AC + 80K furnace
- Premium filtration — MERV-13 5-inch deep cabinet substantially better than builder’s standard 1″ MERV-8 filter
- Smart-home integration — Carrier Infinity integrated with home automation
- 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
- Builder credit applied — $7,500 credit toward upgraded equipment substantially offset cost
Pricing
Total project cost: $26,000
Customer net cost breakdown:
- Carrier 25VNA0 Greenspeed Infinity heat pump (2.5 ton): $6,800
- Carrier FE air handler with 15 kW backup: $2,800
- Carrier Infinity communicating thermostat: $785
- Aprilaire E80 HRV with installation: $2,485
- Aprilaire 5-inch deep media cabinet: $385
- Refrigerant line set, electrical, miscellaneous: $585
- Installation labor (10 hours): $1,485
- Smart-home integration: $385
- Builder coordination and equipment swap-out: $385
- Additional materials: $9,910
Net cost after rebates, credits, and builder credit:
- Project cost: $26,000
- Builder credit for original equipment specification: -$7,500
- OPPD heat pump rebate: -$1,200
- Federal Section 25C tax credit: -$2,000
- Customer net cost: $15,300 (premium tier system at substantial discount vs full retail cost)
Net cost of approximately $18,500 vs $7,500 builder credit = approximately $11,000 additional investment for substantial equipment upgrade (heat pump + HRV + premium filtration + smart thermostat) vs builder’s standard gas furnace + AC + basic thermostat.
First-Year Operating Performance
- Heating season: heat pump primary for 96% of heating hours; electric backup engaged during 4 days of extreme cold (below -10°F)
- Total backup heat operation: 18 hours over heating season
- Cooling season: variable-capacity operation produced longer steady-state cycles with substantially better humidity removal
- HRV operation: continuous fresh air ventilation with heat recovery maintaining indoor air quality without thermal energy waste
- Annual operating cost: approximately 8% lower than equivalent gas furnace + AC operation due to tight envelope + variable-capacity efficiency
- Customer reported substantial satisfaction with comfort, particularly humidity management during summer
Lessons from This Project
- New construction with builder coordination enables substantial equipment upgrades at lower net cost than post-completion modification
- Builder credit for original specification reduces effective cost of upgraded equipment substantially
- Tight-envelope construction is particularly well-suited for heat pump primary heating; right-sizing produces better comfort outcomes
- HRV/ERV addition is appropriate for tight-envelope homes; builders often skip mechanical ventilation despite need
- Premium tier equipment selection appropriate for long-term ownership; 25+ year ownership intent justifies premium investment
- Federal Section 25C tax credit ($2,000 cap) + OPPD rebates substantially reduce qualifying heat pump installation costs
Contact Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning
For La Vista Southport new construction HVAC, builder coordination, cold-climate heat pump consultation, or HRV/ERV 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