Brynn leads the campaign for America’s Cleanest Energy, working to persuade states to pass laws to improve energy efficiency and provide citizens with action to take in their homes and communities.Brynn grew up in South Florida and now lives in Connecticut.She loves distance running, stand-up comedy and all things pop culture.
Our clean energy intern, Adelina Sederman, writes about the heating and cooling benefits of clean, efficient heat pumps.
My family, like most families in America, relies on a gas stove to heat our home system.This means that every time we add heat on a cold New England day, we’re burning fossil fuels at home.
Currently, three-quarters of Americans still use fossil fuels to run our heating, hot water and other appliances.Running electricity with natural gas means we miss out on the benefits of renewable energy and pollutes the air inside and outside our homes.With space heating and cooling accounting for more than half of a home’s energy use, the use of electric HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems alone can make a big difference in the transition of American homes to clean energy.
Specifically, the adoption of electric heat pumps is an excellent solution that will replace natural gas with renewable energy for heating and cooling.Advances in electric technology have made heat pumps more efficient and reliable than ever, but many homeowners are unaware of these recent improvements and the benefits of an electric HVAC system.Heat pumps are now suitable for all climates, no matter how extreme or mild, and can last up to 15 years.
Heat pumps are also far more efficient than fossil fuel equipment.Whenever the heat needs to be turned on in the winter, my family feels like we’re wasting energy because we’re burning gas.But with a heat pump powered by a renewable energy source like rooftop solar panels or offshore wind turbines, you know your energy is clean, efficient and abundant.
When purchasing a system, there are two heat pump options for your home HVAC system: air source and geothermal.Air source heat pumps transport air between environments, transfer heat into the building to raise the temperature, and cool it by removing the heat.Geothermal heat pumps, on the other hand, use the temperature from the ground rather than the air because heat is relatively stable in the earth.
Both air source heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps are much more efficient than gas heat pumps.The heat pump has a coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.0-6.0 compared to a gas furnace with a COP of 1.0.This means that a heat pump can produce 3 to 6 times more heat per unit of energy input than a furnace.Plus, pairing a heat pump with solar panels to generate electricity will give you a truly clean energy home with all the benefits of renewable energy.
Now is the time for us to transition to electric heat pumps for heating and cooling.Gas stoves have a long lifespan, and installing a new one would put us in another decade or so of dirty energy usage.To be carbon neutral by 2050, we need to stop building new gas heating installations by 2025.
To power every home in America, we must ensure that when every fossil fuel-powered stove, water heater, and appliance reaches the end of its useful life, it is replaced with a clean alternative to electricity.I know that when our gas furnace is ready to be replaced, I will be discussing switching to a heat pump with my family.If it’s time to replace your own HVAC system, choose a clean and efficient heat pump.
You can also support the transition to clean energy homes by supporting the Zero Emission Homes Act, which is currently under consideration in Congress and will lower the overall cost of purchasing and installing appliances like heat pumps.Send a message to your Senators today to speak out for the good of clean, electrified homes.
Brynn leads the campaign for America’s Cleanest Energy, working to persuade states to pass laws to improve energy efficiency and provide citizens with action to take in their homes and communities.Brynn grew up in South Florida and now lives in Connecticut.She loves distance running, stand-up comedy and all things pop culture.
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