Invested In Climate

Geothermal heat pumps with Dandelion Energy, Ep #71

Oct 10, 2023

37:27

Heat pumps have gotten a lot of attention lately. They’re one of the technologies most critical to electrifying buildings and removing our dependency on fossil fuels for heating and cooling.

And, they’re a technology that’s taking off. Sales of heat pumps have grown by double digits for two years running. According to the Sustainability Trends Report published recently by Al Gore’s investment firm Generation, heat pump sales In Europe grew by 50% and they’re now outselling gas furnaces in the United States.

But did you know there’s more than one kind of heat pump? Today, we’re joined by Kathy Hannun, Founder of Dandelion Energy, a geothermal startup that grew out of Google X and is now growing quickly. Kathy explains how heat pumps work, the difference between air source and geothermal heat pumps, the economics and experience for heat pump buyers, and much more. Whether you’re a homeowner still relying on fossil fuels or simply interested in the future of buildings, this episode has a lot for you. Enjoy.

In today's episode, we cover:

[3:43] Kathy’s background & she came to found Dandelion
[4:46] Developing Dandelion at Google X, the spinout & the complexities
[8:11] What heat pumps are, how they work & why they're important from a climate perspective
[12:32] The user experience, performance, maintenance & operating costs for homeowners
[14:16] Geothermal heat pumps: the difference between air source vs. ground source
[17:01] How customers are thinking about the economics of investing in a heat pump
[20:06] The longevity of HVAC systems & replacing them
[24:07] Dandelion’s focus on the US Northeast
[26:08] Where geothermal heat pumps work from a technology perspective
[27:09] How national incentives & policy changes have been helpful
[28:07] The growth of the heat pump market
[29:17] The biggest barriers for Dandelion & the market overall
[32:23] The role of HVAC contractors
[34:49] The next three to five years & what’s next for Dandelion