February 11, 2022
What is it that makes heat pumps so important to the process of going all-electric in our homes? To get a better perspective on both electrification and heat pumps, let’s take a look at the end goal of building electrification and how we use energy to keep our homes comfortable and safe.
The Goal of Building Electrification
Electrification is the term used to describe a building’s transition to using electricity as the only power source in a home, diminishing the need for fossil fuels. Electrification can occur in a home or a commercial building and is aimed at greatly reducing (if not eliminating) the need for fossil fuel-based energy.
But Isn’t Natural Gas A Clean Fossil Fuel?
While natural gas does come with lower carbon emissions than other fossil fuels like heating oil, it's not an entirely clean or sustainable source of energy. California is trying to meet the greenhouse gas emissions goal of reducing emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and the use of fossil fuels to condition our built environment just won’t get us there!
Heating and Cooling Our Homes
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Of the energy used in U.S. homes in 2015, 55% of it was used for heating and cooling. Water heating, appliances, electronics, and lighting accounted for the remaining 45% of total consumption.”
For many homes here in the East Bay, the energy used for heating and cooling is consumed by gas furnaces and inefficient air conditioners, meaning electrifying the heating and cooling system in your home can have the most impact on reducing your carbon emissions, and lowering your monthly costs!
How Heat Pumps Work In Northern California
Heat pumps have risen in popularity enough that you may have even heard some incorrect information about them. And because heat pumps offer both heating and cooling modes, many homeowners throughout Alameda, Contra Costa, and Marin counties come to us wondering if heat pumps can provide efficient heat in the northern California climate.
Heat pumps actually absorb heat and move it from one place to another, which is one reason why they are so efficient. In the summer, a heat pump takes the heat inside your home and sends it back outside, making the cool air it concurrently pumps inside more effective. In the wintertime, the process reverses, and a heat pump will accumulate heat from the air outside, and send it indoors. This can be more efficient than other home heating methods, and many heat pumps can still operate efficiently when outside temperatures reach as low as -10ºF!
Most heat pumps are perfectly suited for the climate here in the East Bay, and the HVAC team at Hassler can help you make the right choice when it comes to heat pump installation.
Benefit In More Ways Than One
We know that heat pumps are good for the environment and that they offer both heating and cooling modes. But those aren’t the only benefits to upgrading your HVAC system with a heat pump. You can also expect an increase in your indoor air quality while having more control over your home comfort! Hassler has a heat pump solution for just about every home, and our team can help you with a whole-home heating and cooling solution or we can add a heat pump to your current system.
