The Sierra Club has been tracking the progress of new heat pump legislation in California.
Building codes require or encourage replacements for central air conditioners to be heat pumps. Laws have been put in place in Moreno Valley, Menlo Park, Sunnyvale, Ojai, and Oakland in the last few weeks. First readings have been passed in Santa Cruz, Mountain View, and Glendale. Early steps toward similar laws have been taken in Encinitas, Palo Alto, and Campbell.
These requirements only kick in when an old system dies or when a new home is built from scratch. Some areas are opting for flexible paths, which offer a wider range of alternative upgrades.
These laws follow new state building codes, which were approved last year and take effect Jan. 1. The state energy commission estimated that the change would save $5 billion in energy costs and reduce pollution by 4 million metric tons over three years. The average American household can save about $400 annually by switching to a heat pump.
Other heating options come with loads of costs. Gas furnaces are more expensive to run by comparison and come with health and safety risks. Electrical resistance heating avoids the latter, but uses a lot of electricity.
Going with a heat pump means saving a few bucks on monthly utility bills, but it also means cutting out the emissions that come from burning gas. Home energy use is a major source of atmospheric pollution. The more it can be electrified, the more we can curb increasingly destructive weather patterns such as floods and droughts. These disasters have direct housing, agricultural, and ecological costs.
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If you're ready to make the switch to a heat pump, Mitsubishi has a free online tool that connects homeowners to vetted installers. These experts can help you navigate available rebates and incentives to maximize your savings.
California lawmakers were optimistic about the updated building code and the push for more heat pumps in homes.
"There's nothing unsure about it; our climate is changing very fast, and it is an absolute need for us to act as quickly as we can," California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said, per The Sacramento Bee. "It's about how you match that ambition with pragmatism and manage the transition."
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