Getting heat pumps right

Oh, the heat pump — a climate tech darling that still hasn’t hit the big time. One challenge is that the customer experience can be difficult, involving a complex installation process, poor installation jobs, and even technicians that don’t want to sell you a heat pump.

So what’s it going to take to get heat pumps right? 

In this episode, Shayle talks to Paul Lambert, founder and CEO of the heat-pump company Quilt. They talk through the nuts and bolts of the customer experience and how to improve it. (Shayle and Energy Impact Partners invest in Quilt). They cover topics like:

• Why many technicians are ambivalent or resistant to selling heat pumps
• The cost stack for heat pumps, including the surprising cost of materials
• The complex labor involved that ratchets up the total price of installation
• Lessons from other industries, such as solar and auto
• Whether users actually save money on heat pump installations
• The challenges of vertical integration of the value chain

Recommended resources

• Latitude Media: We have more data on the energy benefits of heat pumps — and they’re big
• Catalyst: Ramping up the pace of home electrification
• Catalyst: Unleashing the magic of heat pumps

Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub is working with more than 70 utilities across North America to help scale VPP programs to manage load growth, maximize the value of renewables, and deliver flexibility at every level of the grid. To learn more about their Edge DERMS platform and services, go to energyhub.com.

On December 3 in Washington, DC, Latitude Media is bringing together a range of experts for Transition-AI 2024, a one-day, in-person event addressing both sides of the AI-energy nexus: the challenges AI poses to the grid, and the opportunities. Our podcast listeners get a 10% discount on this year’s conference using the code LMPODS10. Register today here!