Heat Pumps & More
Did you know that you can cut your bills by switching to a renewable heating source, and reduce your carbon emissions and contribute to a stronger local economy?
There are programs and incentives for several green & cozy heating options, but remember first to make sure you weatherize your home before deciding on a new heating system. This will help you reduce your heat load, and help you determine the appropriate equipment to keep your home warm all winter long.
Heat pumps: Air-Source & Ground-Source
Heat pumps, like air conditioners or refrigerators, use electricity to move heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer.
Air-Source Heat Pumps take heat from the outside air (even when it is cold outside), and work well for homes and apartment buildings of all sizes. There are incentives offered through utilities to help cover the cost of equipment and installation, as well as additional ones for income-eligible households. Learn more about air-source heat pumps in this video from NYSERDA and on the NYS Clean Heat site.
Overview of Air Source Heat pumps, by NYSERDA
And this video from This Old House explains the magic behind heat pumps—how heat can be extracted from cold air!
Ground-Source Heat Pumps, also known as geothermal, remove heat from underground, and are more efficient than air source heat pumps. There are separate incentives for ground-source heat pumps.
Overview of Ground Source Heat Pumps, by NYSERDA
Heat pumps can be carbon neutral if paired with solar panels, or if you purchase green energy through your energy supplier. Read more about heat pumps on our heat pump fact sheets [pdf], energy.gov and NYSERDA’s heat pump site. Explore NYSERDA’s Heat Pump Planner.
Biomass: Wood & Wood Pellet
Wood. While burning firewood in a stove has been done for centuries, modern wood stoves have significantly reduced the amount of air pollution and can often heat a whole home--if it's been weatherized.
Wood pellets. Pellets are made from sawdust and low-quality trees, and, like wood, can be used to heat a whole house. There are many pellet mills in the Southern Tier region. There are not currently any rebates available for pellet stoves, but you can receive a tax credit if you install a pellet stove with an efficiency rating of 75% or more. You can claim a federal tax credit of 30% of the project cost, up to $2,000.
Interested?
We recommend getting a few quotes from local heating contractors. Or contact one of our Community Energy Advisors. We are not salespeople and we are here to help!
Also, you may be interested in NYSERDA Clean Heating & Cooling campaigns, which provide third-party information on heat pumps and energy efficiency, a list of vetted contractors, and upfront pricing. There is currently one active campaign in our region: HeatSmart Southern Tier covering Broome, Tioga, Chenango & Delaware Counties.