This podcast discusses the goal of having heat pumps in 140 million U.S. homes by 2050. It explores the adoption targets for water heaters, induction stoves, and other home appliances. The episode also covers the $9 billion in incentives that could accelerate adoption, the need for more data to speed up adoption, and the impact of heat pumps on the heating and cooling market. Additionally, it discusses progress and challenges in electrifying water heating, pricing and competition in the home electrification market, and the importance of product innovation.
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Quick takeaways
Electrifying appliances in homes, such as heat pumps, induction stoves, and water heaters, is crucial for achieving zero emissions and decarbonizing the economy.
To achieve full electrification by 2050, acceleration is required in heat pump sales, aiming for 7.7 million sales between 2023 and 2025.
Deep dives
Overview of Home Electrification Importance
Electrifying appliances and equipment in homes is crucial for achieving zero emissions and decarbonizing the economy. Approximately 42% of energy-related emissions are attributed to household equipment choices. The focus is on options like heat pumps, induction stoves, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying. The goal is to transition to electricity for these purposes, driven by the need for overall decarbonization and the broader impact on load growth and clean power delivery.
Heating and Cooling Electrification
Heat pump sales, vital for heating and cooling electrification, experienced a national slowdown due to various factors like interest rates and overall market decline. However, heat pump sales still outpace gas and oil furnaces. To achieve full electrification by 2050, acceleration is required, aiming for 7.7 million heat pump sales between 2023 and 2025.
Water Heating Electrification
Water heater electrification offers more time for progress, as water heaters have a longer lifespan than HVAC systems. The target is to install 810,000 heat pump water heaters nationally by 2025. The current sales pace sits at 613,000, leaving a gap of around 204,000. Plug-in 120-volt heat pump water heaters offer a convenient option for smaller homes and multi-family buildings.
Cooking Electrification
The adoption of induction stoves for cooking electrification requires an acceleration of sales. The target is to reach 3.2 million induction stove sales by 2025, with business as usual numbers projecting around 1.5 million sales. Though cooking electricity consumption accounts for only 2% of typical emissions, innovation in cooking appliance solutions can attract customers beyond climate reasons, such as induction stoves with built-in battery power for resilience during power outages.
Heat pumps in 140 million U.S. homes by 2050 — that’s the goal laid out in Rewiring America’s recent report on the pace of home electrification. It’s a daunting target for a country that had heat pumps in only 17 million homes in 2020.
But we’re not that far off. According to Rewiring America, the U.S. is currently on track to install about five million heat pumps by 2025, only about two and a half million short of the pace we need to reach 140 million homes by midcentury.
So what can we do to close the gap? What about other major categories of home electrification like water heaters and induction stoves — are we on pace to reach net-zero targets there?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Stephen Pantano, head of market transformation at Rewiring America, about the organization’s Pace of Progress report. They cover topics like:
The adoption targets for water heaters, induction stoves, and other efficient home appliances
The roughly $9 billion in incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act that could accelerate adoption
The need for more data to get a better understanding of where and how to speed up adoption
Why heat pumps are a growing share of a shrinking heating and cooling market, and how that’s impacting slumping heat pump sales
Canary: New plan aims to quadruple heat-pump adoption in 25 states
Canary: Heat pumps outperform boilers and furnaces — even in the cold
Catalyst: How has US industrial policy impacted climatetech investment?
Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 29, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.
Catalyst is brought to you by BayWa r.e., a leading global renewable energy developer, service supplier, and distributor. With over 22GW in their project pipeline, BayWa r.e. is rethinking energy every day and at every level. Committed to being a solid partner for the long run, BayWa r.e. wants to work with you to help shape the future of energy. Learn more at bay.wa-re.com.
Catalyst is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial and industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com.
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