Hello! I am interested in connecting with housing cooperatives in Seattle that are trying to comply with the Seattle BEPS. I woulove to see the city build a geothermal heat pump system for my whole neighborhood, but I think that’s unlikely in the absence of organizing of some kind. In the mean time, decarbonization of our old buildings organized as cooperatives or condominiums is going to be challenging. Can Volts help me connect with the other housing coops facing these challenges?
If we're upset about subsidies for gas hookups while celebrating IRA credits for solar, batteries, and heat pumps, that's not a principled position.Gas at current Henry Hub prices is probably the cheapest delivered Btu a new home can buy. Socializing the cost of the IRA credits vs the implied subsidies of gas infrastructure is the right argument.
As far as gas system "gold plating." A former member of the a city council told me how hard it was for lib/prog council to refuse requests from fire/police/EMS. I think a similar dynamic plays out with PUCs and requests for gas infrastructure spending on "safety" and "reliability." I have seen some worthy gas system spending on equipment to reduce venting and leaking and it has truly passed my "smell test." But right now we've seen new pipelines, expanded pipelines, added compressors, etc., here in the Roaring Fork Valley home to RMI, POW, and who knows how many "climate action plans." Hardly a peep about the gas work.
Black Hills Gas here has a huge PR campaign underway. Been underway a while. From bus shelter wraps about how you need it for your tortillas, to sponsorship of Colorado Public Radio's classical music. With regular spots on it now promoting "fuel choice" and something about "restaurants" and whatever. (Do they get to write off those CPR ads as "charitable contributions?")
Great conversation! It's fascinating to think about how gas could be wound down intentionally and equitably. Undoubtedly, politics will make it messy. Now I'm curious what Oregon is doing about line extensions for new service. Also, when gas gets expensive, how are we going to get low income folks on to electricity? Some people will go kicking and screaming for sure. It will have to get expensive before some of those conversations can really start.
Utrecht, Netherlands has had a detailed written decommissioning (by 2050) plan in place for years. Here's the plan, plan accordingly. Politics is probably easier in a city five meters above sea level.
Can anyone point me to a US heat pump census that is segmented by new vs. HP replacement vs. gas conversion. CC vs. not? Central/ducted vs. mini/multisplit?
My impression is that the majority of HP sales are into new construction in the Sunbelt, many are not even variable capacity. Switch to toaster mode below 40F. Etc. OK some new in NY, MA, VT, CO, CA...
My impression of the furnace to HP conversion market is mostly a "failure to launch."
Maybe it's my "glass is half full - of poison" attitude.
Not sure I think of HPs, at least any I would think of buying, as a very "American" industry, but again... poison!
This is great stuff. NRDC in NY State is trying to move the needle on this:
https://www.nrdc.org/bio/christopher-casey/how-ny-heat-can-save-new-yorkers-spending-billions-increasingly-obsolete
Hello! I am interested in connecting with housing cooperatives in Seattle that are trying to comply with the Seattle BEPS. I woulove to see the city build a geothermal heat pump system for my whole neighborhood, but I think that’s unlikely in the absence of organizing of some kind. In the mean time, decarbonization of our old buildings organized as cooperatives or condominiums is going to be challenging. Can Volts help me connect with the other housing coops facing these challenges?
If we're upset about subsidies for gas hookups while celebrating IRA credits for solar, batteries, and heat pumps, that's not a principled position.Gas at current Henry Hub prices is probably the cheapest delivered Btu a new home can buy. Socializing the cost of the IRA credits vs the implied subsidies of gas infrastructure is the right argument.
As far as gas system "gold plating." A former member of the a city council told me how hard it was for lib/prog council to refuse requests from fire/police/EMS. I think a similar dynamic plays out with PUCs and requests for gas infrastructure spending on "safety" and "reliability." I have seen some worthy gas system spending on equipment to reduce venting and leaking and it has truly passed my "smell test." But right now we've seen new pipelines, expanded pipelines, added compressors, etc., here in the Roaring Fork Valley home to RMI, POW, and who knows how many "climate action plans." Hardly a peep about the gas work.
Black Hills Gas here has a huge PR campaign underway. Been underway a while. From bus shelter wraps about how you need it for your tortillas, to sponsorship of Colorado Public Radio's classical music. With regular spots on it now promoting "fuel choice" and something about "restaurants" and whatever. (Do they get to write off those CPR ads as "charitable contributions?")
Great conversation! It's fascinating to think about how gas could be wound down intentionally and equitably. Undoubtedly, politics will make it messy. Now I'm curious what Oregon is doing about line extensions for new service. Also, when gas gets expensive, how are we going to get low income folks on to electricity? Some people will go kicking and screaming for sure. It will have to get expensive before some of those conversations can really start.
Utrecht, Netherlands has had a detailed written decommissioning (by 2050) plan in place for years. Here's the plan, plan accordingly. Politics is probably easier in a city five meters above sea level.
Can anyone point me to a US heat pump census that is segmented by new vs. HP replacement vs. gas conversion. CC vs. not? Central/ducted vs. mini/multisplit?
My impression is that the majority of HP sales are into new construction in the Sunbelt, many are not even variable capacity. Switch to toaster mode below 40F. Etc. OK some new in NY, MA, VT, CO, CA...
My impression of the furnace to HP conversion market is mostly a "failure to launch."
Maybe it's my "glass is half full - of poison" attitude.
Not sure I think of HPs, at least any I would think of buying, as a very "American" industry, but again... poison!