Community Advocacy Board Discusses the Benefits of Heat Pumps

Neighborhood Sun’s Community Advocacy Board is open to all subscribers. It’s a platform for those who are interested in learning about clean-energy-related topics and advocacy opportunities, providing company feedback, and engaging with fellow community solar subscribers. Each quarter, we host a virtual gathering for members of our Community Advocacy Board to learn about highly-requested topics related to clean energy advocacy and get the inside scoop on company updates. We’ve covered topics like what it means to be a B Corp, why it’s important to understand the nuances of third-party energy, and most recently– how heat pumps can save you money and reduce energy waste in your home. 

Resources

Folks looking for a trustworthy provider to help them install a heat pump should look for local organization specific to their state. You can also check Consumer Reports for heat pump recommendations. Examples mentioned during the meeting included BPI.org for residents in the DMVA area, Massachusetts Heat Smart Alliance or Go Electric Colorado. 

Have a specific follow-up question for Bob or Joel? You can contact Bob at [email protected] and Joel at [email protected] if you need help with home electrification in the DMV area or have specific questions regarding the presentation or shared resources.

Key Insights

• Since heat pumps are bi-directional and transfer heat rather than creating it, they are the most efficient option.
• Heat pumps are ALWAYS more efficient than fossil fuel furnaces.
• First step to getting a heat pump is usually doing an energy audit to calculate leakage (how much energy is escaping your home through cracks) and load (how much cooling your house needs for winter and summer). Make sure you get a before and after blow door test to see if they reduced air leakage.
• Your utility provider MAY subsidize an energy audit, but some will require a certain target to be met in terms of blower test results to get the subsidy so be sure that you’re clear on what that number is.  PEPCO, for example, will pay up to $300 if you use one of their approved auditors
• Inverter-driven or variable-speed compressors are MOST efficient because the computer circuit inside can adjust speed rather than just being on or off

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