California group to drive heat pump adoption
31st May 2024
USA: Leading state agencies, manufacturers, utilities and other market actors have joined together to form the California Heat Pump Partnership (CAHPP) to support the state’s heat pump and climate targets.
The heat pump manufacturing members of CAHPP, which include A O Smith, Bradford White, Carrier, Daikin, Fujitsu General, Johnson Controls, Lennox, LG, Mitsubishi Electric, Rheem and Trane Technologies, claim to represent more than 90% of the US consumer heat pump market.
With California targeting six million electric heat pump installations by 2030, the new public-private partnership says it will “drive forward a clean energy economy and advance California’s climate objectives by propelling widespread heat pump adoption through cross-sector collaboration and strategic partnerships”.
Other CAHPP members include electricity providers, distributor Ferguson, and is also backed by the California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, California Public Utilities Commission, and the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
The CAHPP intends to develop a blueprint outlining how to address technical, market, and policy barriers for achieving the state’s heat pump targets. The partnership will also deploy a statewide consumer marketing campaign through The Switch Is On, an initiative launched by the Building Decarbonization Coalition, to educate, inspire, and make switching to electric appliances easier for communities, contractors, and all those who live and work in buildings.
“As California moves toward a carbon-neutral future, it’s crucial to foster close coordination between state and market leaders to achieve our building decarbonization goals,” commented California Public Utilities Commission president Alice Reynolds.
“The Heat Pump Partnership is a vital step in supporting California’s transition to clean electric heating and cooling. By aligning key stakeholders in the clean energy transition, we can minimise costs and maximise benefits for all Californians, driving us towards a more sustainable future.”
California currently has about 1.5 million heat pumps deployed and is currently projected to install less than 200,000 heat pumps a year. To close the gap of 4.5 million heat pumps by 2030, heat pump adoption will need to nearly quadruple with about 750,000 units installed annually.
