Energy affordability is a hot topic of late, which is why recent analysis on heat pumps caught my eye. This established technology, like geothermal, is having a renaissance, especially with findings that they can indeed perform well in cold climates, making way to replace costly propane and home heating oil systems in places like New England. Here to give us heat pumps 101 and talk about the prospects for reducing energy bills and carbon emissions is RMI’s Ryan Shea.
Ryan is a manager in the Carbon-Free Buildings team, where he works to accelerate home decarbonization. He focuses on developing tools and resources for program implementers, contractors, and residents to leverage when solarizing, electrifying, and weatherizing homes. Ryan has experience with techno-economic analyses for holistic decarbonization of island settings, universities, houses of worship, and individual residences through large and small-scale renewable energy, building electrification and efficiency, and transportation electrification. A Fulbright scholar, Ryan completed his graduate research on cost-effective pathways to fully electrify and renewably power university buildings and transportation systems, and provided roadmaps to 10 Bay Area houses of worship to cost-effectively reach carbon neutrality.
Whether you have a heat pump or have never heard of heat pumps or are somewhere in the middle, sit back and let Ryan tell you everything you need to know.