Debating the Feasibility of Electrification by 2050

This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.

Today, we're taking a slightly different spin. Instead of focusing on what it'll take to electrify homes, as we've heard in past episodes, we're talking about why it's currently not working as well as it should and the key barriers preventing us from moving faster on the home decarb adoption curve.

Many of you know our guest as Nate "the House Whisperer.” Nate Adams is a longtime HVAC insulation and sealing contractor who lives in West Virginia and describes himself as "a bit unusual in the climate community," coming from the right side of the political spectrum. And he is one of home electrification's fiercest and most consistent advocates.

Yin and Nate cover a lot of ground in this episode, including the dangers of positioning policy rebates and savings to consumers at the beginning of their purchase journey. We uncover that OEMs can convert most air conditioners in factories and warehouses into heat pumps, addressing the current market supply shortage, along with exploring the reasons behind the hesitation to do so. Finally, we discuss how going all-electric is not the solution that gets us to scale and that hybrid systems are the actual silver bullet. There are some controversial and counterintuitive bits coming up and if you want to ask Nate more questions after you listen, stay tuned for an upcoming AMA session with him on the MCJ Slack.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [04:01]: Nate's background and how he became "the House Whisperer"
• [06:58]: Issues with oversized furnace design and sizing
• [10:55]: The concept of definite optimism and indefinite optimism in relation to the future of electrification
• [13:12]: Friction between conservative contractors and climate-focused homeowners
• [16:32]: The importance of positioning policy rebates and savings to consumers
• [24:46] How IRA performance requirements disqualify 80-85% of equipment models
• [29:18]: Overview of the biggest barriers to electrifying homes
• [32:06]: Upstream vs. midstream and potential of converting all ACs to heat pumps
• [34:36]: Mandated heat pumps in Vancouver, BC
• [38:31]: Psychology as a barrier to electrification
• [41:02]: How hybrid systems can reduce fear of heat pumps for both contractors and homeowners
• [47:26]: Nate's HVAC 2.0 business model improves contractor and homeowner experience
• [49:57]: The launch of Nate's air sealing course and Home Comfort Book

Get connected: 

• Nate Adams X / LinkedIn
• Yin X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective / Instagram

*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on Sep 13, 2023 (Published on Nov 15, 2023)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant