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Accelerating US Heat Pump Adoption

CLASP and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) are collaborating to chart the path to successful heat pump deployment through analysis, thought leadership, and direct state level engagement.

Residential heating and cooling account for 52%1 of US household energy use and 40% of household energy bills

As global temperatures spike to extremes, households need reliable indoor temperature control that does not exacerbate the climate crisis. Replacing one-way air conditioners and furnaces at their end of life with heat pumps – an energy efficient, all-electric indoor space heating and cooling technology – is a big piece of the solution.

Every six seconds a new residential furnace or air conditioner starts up in the US, and that decarbonization opportunity is lost until 2035-2040. Accelerated heat pump deployment is critical for cutting out fossil fuels, improving energy security, and maintaining affordable consumer energy.

Driving the Solutions

In 2022, The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funded electrification efforts to increase the widespread adoption of heat pumps, with the aim to make climate-friendly home temperature control accessible to all communities – but analyses reveal state action is needed to meet US building decarbonization targets.

CLASP and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) are collaborating to chart the path to successful heat pump deployment through analysis, thought leadership, and direct state level engagement. Explore our resources below.

Reports

Accelerating Heat Pump Adoption through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Complementary Policies

Deployment of heat pumps is a key part of greenhouse gas reduction goals set out in the Inflation Reduction Act. In this paper, a collaboration between RAP and CLASP, the authors analyze impacts of the IRA on heat pump uptake in the United States and recommend policies that states can use to further increase uptake.

3H Hybrid Heat Homes: An Incentive Program to Electrify Space Heating and Reduce Energy Bills in American Homes

This report proposes a low-barrier, least-cost policy package to rapidly deploy efficient space heating and cooling solutions in the United States. It aims to “raise the floor” for electric space heating in the residential HVAC market, delivering 45 million new installations over 10 years and paving the way for more ambitious decarbonization efforts.

Combating High Fuel Prices with Hybrid Heating: The Case for Swapping Air Conditioners for Heat Pumps

This report offers a strategy to kickstart home electrification in the US by swapping traditional air conditioners (AC) to two-way heat pumps that can both heat and cool indoor spaces.

Global Heat Pump Policy Toolkit

This toolkit - developed by RAP, CLASP, and the Global Buildings Performance Network - provides a suite of tools and instructions for policymakers aiming to accelerate heat pump deployment.
Fighting Extreme Temperatures with the Inflation Reduction Act

According to a new report from CLASP and the Regulatory Assistance Project, the IRA funds are insufficient to increase heat pump adoption to the level needed. The research shows that although the IRA is projected to incrementally increase heat pump deployment this decade, complementary state level policies and initiatives could be the key to supercharging heat pumps implementation as a critical climate-solution.

Learn more

Additional Resources

State Advocate Factsheet. State level action is the key for supercharging heat pump deployment. This factsheet offers policymakers and advocates recommendations on catalyzing action in their states.

The History of Heat Pumps: Technology Advances to Meet the Cold-Climate Challenge. Learn about how heat pump technology has evolved over the centuries to meet today’s heating and cooling needs.

What’s the Buzz? Ground-Truthing Cold-Climate Heat Pump Performance. Hear directly from installers in Alaska and Montana on how heat pump technology is standing up to the challenges of cold-weather climates.

Active Air Conditioner to Heat Pump Policies. Visit the CLASP Policy Resource Center to explore the policies states are using to drive heat pump adoption.

Cold-Climate Heat Pumps Pass the Ultimate Test: a Maine Winter. Check out this blog from our partners at RAP to see how current heat pump technology is meeting the heating demands of winter in one of the northern-most US states.

0. Source: EIA RECS 2020

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