SunCast 847: The Startup Disrupting HVAC Like Tesla Disrupted Cars | Stephen Lake of Jetson
Heat pumps are the EVs of HVAC—so why aren’t we all using them?
Stephen Lake, a highly successful engineer turned climate-tech entrepreneur, is here to explain why heating and cooling is the most overlooked piece of the decarbonization puzzle.
After selling his last company to Google, Stephen founded Jetson to tackle one of the biggest—and slowest-moving—sectors of home energy: HVAC. From cold-weather performance to noise, he busts the myths about heat pumps and outlines why they haven’t hit mass adoption in North America.
Spoiler: it’s not the tech. It’s everything else—price, friction, contractors, complexity.
Expect a crash course in sector disruption, including Jetson’s decision to build everything in-house and cut install costs by half through full-stack operations. If Tesla built HVAC, it’d look like this.
🔹 What makes heat pumps 300% efficient (and why it’s not magic)
🔹 The hidden friction points that stall heat pump adoption
🔹 Why cold-climate performance is no longer a dealbreaker
🔹 Lessons from scaling a vertically integrated climate tech startup
If you’ve ever wondered why heat pumps haven’t gone mainstream—or whether it should be part of your electrification journey—this is a conversation you can’t miss.
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 730 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on: