Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. — RUTLAND — A free public presentation on cold climate heat pumps will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27 in the conference room at Green Mountain Power’s Energy Information Center (EIC), 68 – 70 Merchants Row in Rutland. The presentation will be given by Gary Barnett, of the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op board, and William Morrissey and Corey Trimmer of Pawlet’s Weatherization Works.
Due to some recent breakthroughs in air source heat pump technology, a whole new category of cold climate heat pumps (CCHP) has hit the market in northern climates (like Vermont’s) that really work.
Want to save money on your heating bill while reducing your dependence on fossil fuels at the same time? Now it’s easy and affordable for you to cut your heating bill dramatically—and make your home more comfortable year round with a “mini-split” cold climate heat pump. These units can be installed as retrofits in existing homes.
“Cold climate heat pumps are a relatively recent arrival on the market, so a lot of people still don’t know much about them,” says Greg Pahl, Acorn Energy Co-op president. This will be an opportunity for folks to learn about this new technology.
For many years, air source heat pumps (ASHP) have used an electrically powered refrigeration cycle to move and enhance latent heat from cold outside air into your living space during the winter. Recent advances in ASHP technology have improved performance levels under cold weather conditions down to -13º Fahrenheit, making cold climate heat pumps (a new ASHP subcategory) an effective space heating alternative for Vermont and all northern U.S. regions.
In the summer, CCHPs reverse the process and cool your home like an air-conditioner by removing heat from indoor air and expelling it to the outside. But a CCHP is much quieter than the typical window-mounted air-conditioner and uses less electricity.
Over the course of a typical Vermont winter, if properly installed, heat pumps can deliver up to three units of heat for every unit of electricity used, resulting in significant fuel cost savings, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Consequently, mini-split CCHPs can provide heat at higher efficiency and lower costs than conventional electrical resistance heating, oil, or propane heating systems.
There will a Q&A after the presentations. The public is welcome.
The event is sponsored by Acorn Energy Co-op, a member-owned cooperative serving businesses and residents in Addison, Rutland, and Chittenden counties. The Co-op provides education, outreach, products and services, as well as community solar projects that help members make the transition from current reliance on fossil fuels to greater use of renewables and local solutions.
For more info, visit acornenergycoop.com or call 802 385-1911.
