120-Volt Heat Pump Water Heaters to Hit the Market
The new year brings with it an exciting new technology for homeowners, a 120-volt heat pump water heater. While the efficiency improvements and environmental benefits of existing 240-volt heat pump water heaters are well documented, this lower-voltage development will...
Customer Spotlight – Karen & Gary
As the climate crisis continues to worsen, many homeowners are looking to decarbonize their homes in order to reduce their personal carbon footprint. However, it is easy to be intimidated by the complexity and enormity of this undertaking, especially given the...
Heat Pump Customer Best Practices
To ensure your customers are happy with their new heat pump system, it’s important to help them understand how to operate the equipment properly. Many homeowners with new heat pump systems are unaware that they operate differently than traditional heating systems and...
Heat Pump Misinformation
When Abode Heat Pump Specialists talk to homeowners looking to learn more about heat pumps, we regularly hear the homeowners relay misinformation that was provided to them by HVAC contractors and Energy Efficiency Specialists. Some of the information they relay is...
Customer Spotlight – Nancy & Jon
Making the decision to change the type of a home's heating system is consequential, as it impacts the energy usage and carbon footprint of the home. As a result, most homeowners like to take their time weighing their options and ensuring they make the right decision...
Heat Pumps in MLP Towns
Municipal Light Plants (MLPs) are utilities that are owned by a local municipality, and they account for 14% of the electricity distributed in Massachusetts. Unlike investor-owned utilities (IOUs), MLPs are allowed to own and operate generation facilities as well as...
Stash Heat Pumps
While increasing the adoption of heat pumps is critical to improving residential energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, there are looming concerns that the US electric grid is not yet ready for all homes to make the transition. With more heating systems...
Evaluating Integrated Control Systems
Integrated control systems are often touted as a great complement to heat pump and fossil fuel backup heating systems by introducing an element of automation. In home retrofit projects, it is common for existing fossil fuel heating equipment to be left in place as a...
Contractor Spotlight – Basnett
Contractors occupy a unique role in the energy efficiency space, serving as the bridge between program administrators and homeowners. This month’s spotlight is focused on Basnett Plumbing, Heating, and AC, one of our participating contractors who blends technical...
The Environmental Impact of Refrigerant Leakage
When discussing the environmental benefits of heat pumps, refrigerant leakage is often cited as an area of significant concern, and rightly so. As discussed in an earlier edition of our newsletter, most of the refrigerants used in residential heat pumps have a very...
Customer Spotlight – Becky from Belmont
This edition’s spotlight is focused on a customer from Belmont, Becky, who recently installed a second heat pump system in her home to replace her existing boiler. About two years ago, Becky took advantage of the Belmont Light heat pump rebate and took out a...
Heat Pump Sales Tax in Massachusetts
Increasing the adoption of electrification technologies and decarbonizing the existing housing stock are important facets of Massachusetts meeting its ambitious 2050 climate goals. On that front, the Massachusetts government has proactively introduced incentives and...