It’s been a record-breaking summer – and not in a good way. About 100 cities across the U.S. are reportedly on track for their hottest summer ever recorded. As heat indexes rise, Americans are consuming more energy to cool themselves down. Lucky for us, there are cutting edge clean energy technologies that can keep our homes comfortable and save us money, too.
A heat pump, for example, is an appliance that uses electricity to move heat from one place to another. On these hot summer days, heat pumps move heat from the inside of your home to the outside, similar to an air conditioner. But a heat pump can also move heat the other direction, too. That means in winter months, it can transfer heat from the outside air and move it indoors to warm your home.
Transferring heat is much more efficient than burning gas, oil or propane to generate heat. According to Rewiring America, heat pumps are about three times more efficient than fossil fuel heating systems. All that efficiency can translate into big savings on your energy bills.
These clean tech home upgrades cost money, but you can take advantage of rebates and tax incentives to modernize. Thanks to a law passed by Congress in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act, you can get up to $8,000 in upfront discounts off the price of a heat pump, plus a 30% tax credit up to $2,000. Additional incentives are offered by the state of Colorado and La Plata Electric Association.
Heat pumps are just one example of the clean tech upgrades available for your home. You can upgrade your water heater or clothes dryer with heat pump versions. For even more savings, you can go big with electric vehicles and rooftop solar. Rewiring America has an online Savings Calculator to show you all the options.
These electrified options have no flames or fumes, so switching reduces or eliminates some common home safety hazards like carbon monoxide and other pollutants that dirty our indoor air.
In my home here in Durango, we have a solar PV and battery system that runs our electric devices. Two years ago, we switched to air source heat pumps for hot water, and to heat and cool part of our house. The heat pumps worked flawlessly during the coldest days of January and the hottest days of July, and they use less electricity. We produce more power than we use most months and pay less than $100 each year for utilities.
I’m excited about the clean energy options on the market. In addition to all the benefits they bring to our living space and our wallets, they will also help address the underlying cause of our hotter summers.
Scientists are crystal clear about this: When we burn fossil fuels for energy – like in our gas furnaces, our cars’ combustion engines and so on – it puts carbon pollution into the atmosphere. That carbon pollution acts like extra blankets piled on our planet, trapping in more and more heat.
When we upgrade to clean technology options for our homes, we aren’t just saving money. We’re also reducing the amount of fossil fuels we’re burning, which leads to less carbon pollution and less unnatural heating for our planet.
It’s a win-win for everyone – cutting edge clean tech in our homes, lower energy bills and the reassurance that we are reducing overheating for future generations.
Kathy Fackler is a volunteer with the Durango chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Rachel Kerestes is the executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
