Groton’s Sustainability Commission initiates community-based approach to assisting residents with home heating and cooling solutions

Fossil fuel combustion in residential buildings for space and water heating contributes almost a third of Groton’s greenhouse gas emissions.  As fossil fuel heating systems, water heaters and air conditioners age, homeowners should examine all of their options for replacing or supplementing these systems with newer, more efficient technologies.  However, evaluating the options can be difficult and requires an investment of time to understand the options and the economic, comfort and environmental tradeoffs associated with each.

To aid Groton residents with these decisions, the Groton Sustainability Commission has recently started an Energy Coaching program.  Coaches have been trained by HeatSmart Alliance, a local organization that has trained over 100 volunteers coaching in over 40 towns across Massachusetts. Unaffiliated with any manufacturer or installer, coaches help homeowners evaluate the benefits and costs of alternative systems, so that they can make the choice that best fulfills their needs.  

Most Groton homes are heated using fossil fuels: oil, natural gas or propane.  Replacing an aging fossil fuel system with an updated version of the same system is the easiest replacement decision to make, especially if the system provides good comfort at a price the homeowner can afford.   However, there are a lot of potential benefits to switching to heat pumps. 

Heat pump technology options have expanded, and which option is optimal differs with the existing systems in the home and what upgrades may have already occurred. The energy coaching team can help homeowners understand if the benefits of heat pumps are a good fit for their needs, either as a total system replacement or as a partial heating replacement. 

The vast majority of the time, heat pumps provide heat much more efficiently than fossil fuel systems. A large portion of the energy heat pumps use, electricity from the grid, is generated with no carbon emissions.   For these reasons, a switch from fossil fuel heating to a heat pump will immediately reduce a home’s carbon emissions from heating by up to 75%.   The environmental benefit is immediate and large.

Heat pumps provide heating and cooling, a benefit not available with a fossil fuel system.  Heat pump cooling is more efficient and quieter than cooling with traditional A/C units.   Efficient, more affordable cooling will become increasingly important as our climate grows warmer.

For many Massachusetts residents, the high cost of electricity is a deterrent to adopting heat pumps.  GELD provides our electricity at rates much lower than the average.   A ‘cost to operate’ calculation needs to be done on a case-by-case basis, but Groton’s low electricity rates make the return-on-investment calculation much more favorable for heat pumps than it might be in other parts of the state.

There are significant financial incentives provided by the federal government for the installation of heat pump-based HVAC systems, water heating and weatherization. GELD provides an incentive for space heating and cooling systems, and some residents qualify for substantial state benefits through MassSave.  Energy coaches can aid homeowners in understanding how to use these incentives  to reduce the initial costs of a conversion to a heat pump. 

One recent study showed that homes upgraded with heat pumps enjoy on average a $13,700 price premium when sold over homes that do not have heat pumps.  This benefit may be an important factor in the financial calculation associated with a heating system replacement.

There are challenges to the widespread adoption of heat pumps.  They require a reliable supply of electricity. It is well understood that a multi-faceted approach is needed to ensure that the electric grid can provide electricity supply needed to support electrification.  The state and federal government are working with the energy sector to grow reliable, clean electricity capacity through initiatives like expedited permitting of grid infrastructure. 

Local, distributed solutions are needed as well.  GELD has been a leader in implementing some of the approaches that will allow us to meet demand in the most cost-efficient way possible with the addition of grid level battery storage in Groton and implementation of time of use rates to reduce peak demand.    

For the individual homeowner there is  a challenge to whole home heating electrification with heat pumps; below 10° F, heat pump efficiency drops dramatically and their energy use increases, resulting in an increase in cost to operate and increased strain on the grid.  In the warming climate we are already experiencing, these extremely cold periods may occur less frequently. 

Armoring the home against extreme temperatures with good weatherization will mitigate this impact if it occurs.  Considering battery backup with an EV or a home battery system is another way to mitigate spikes in grid electricity use. Finally, keeping an existing fossil fuel system to use as backup is another option, but can add to ongoing maintenance costs. Energy coaches help residents understand how these solutions might be applied in their own home.

The Groton Sustainability Commission now has two trained energy coach volunteers who can help residents understand the different options based on a home’s characteristics and the specific goals of the homeowner.  The coaches are not affiliated or supported by any equipment manufacturer or installer, bringing an unbiased perspective to the evaluation of heating alternatives.   By helping homeowners enumerate the benefits and pitfalls of their home heating options, we expect to aid them in making the best choice for their situation, and, perhaps, help our community reduce its carbon footprint.

 We encourage anyone contemplating the replacement of their current heating system to get in touch with our energy coaches.  To contact them, email sustaining@grotonma.gov