Heat Pumps. The term heat pump is something of a misnomer, since a heat pump both heats and cools. In its heating mode, a heat pump is an electrically powered device that uses a circulating chemical called a refrigerant to remove heat from the outdoor winter air, or from the earth, using a set of coils. It then delivers this relatively low-temperature heat to an indoor set of coils, where that heat is upgraded to a level sufficient to heat the room, the home, the commercial space, etc. During warm weather the heat pump reverses the refrigerant’s flow, absorbing indoor heat and transporting it to the outdoor air or into the ground. The heat pump, running on green, renewable electricity, is widely viewed as the worldwide replacement for fossil-fueled space heating and cooling. There are heat pump water heaters as well. Some further background on heat pumps: “In Maine, Heat Pumps Are Proving Themselves Even Against Extreme Cold”. www.energynews.us 7/27/22. “Heat Pumps Are Now Required For New Homes in Washington State”. www.canarymedia.com 11/8/22. “How Local Governments and Communities Are Taking Action to Get Fossil Fuels Out of Buildings”. www.rmi.org 8/9/22. New York City Local Law 154: “Local Law 154: NYC’s All-electric New Buildings Law”. www.urbangreencouncil.org On 12/15/21 New York City became the largest city in the world to phase fossil fuels out of new construction. A recent advance in the area of air-source heat pumps is the window-fitted heat pump manufactured by Gradient. This could be especially effective in eliminating the need for fossil-fueled HVAC equipment in multi-family buildings in older city neighborhoods. www.gradientcomfort.com Gradient was the 2022 winner of the Fast Company consumer products award. It was also selected by TIME Magazine for inclusion in its “Best Inventions 2022” edition. And with regard to an advanced version of ground-source heat pumps: “Dandelion Energy Raises $70M to Take Geothermal Heat Pumps Mainstream”. www.canarymedia.com 11/21/22. By drilling hundreds of feet into the ground, Dandelion taps a secure reservoir of heat in the winter, and in summer, it removes heat from the building to cool it. www.dandelionenergy.com .
