Heat pump technology can be used to reduce carbon emissions and heating costs in existing townhouses. This proposal outlines how converting electric baseboard heated townhouses to electric cold climate heat pumps for heating and cooling and converting natural gas heated townhouses to electric cold climate heat pumps for heating and cooling can reduce occupant heating and cooling bills while not increasing the electrical supply demand and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 85%.

To implement this concept, existing townhouse owners would be found with both types of heating systems and be converted. There would be no cost to the City or Burlington Hydro other than administrative because the Green Municipal Fund would subsidize the capital cost and the monthly savings in utility bills would cover the financing for the remaining capital cost for the baseboard homes. The gas homes would pay a little more but less than if they had conventional air conditioning……….. continue reading