Clean Energy 101: Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are all-electric appliances that move heat rather than generating it, allowing them to provide both heating and cooling with high efficiency. They are available as air-source or ground-source systems and can be ducted or ductless. While upfront costs can be a barrier, they offer long-term savings over gas or electric resistance furnaces and eliminate indoor fossil fuel combustion risks. Recent technological advances have made them viable in cold climates, and they are increasingly integrated into climate action plans to improve energy security and public health.

• Heat pumps achieve higher efficiency than traditional furnaces because they move existing heat using a refrigerant instead of creating heat through electric resistance or fossil fuel combustion.
• There are several types of heat pump systems: air-source pumps move heat between indoor and outdoor air, while ground-source pumps use the stable temperature of the ground, making them suitable for very cold climates. These can be installed as ducted systems or ductless 'mini-split' systems.
• Beyond space heating and cooling, heat pump technology is used in other appliances; for example, high-efficiency water heaters in the US can be four times more efficient than conventional models.
• While upfront costs are a barrier, all-electric new construction is often cheaper than mixed-fuel homes because it avoids gas infrastructure costs, which can be approximately $5,000 for a single-family home.
• Technological improvements have made heat pumps practical for subzero conditions, leading to their inclusion in climate plans in US states like Colorado and Maine, and high adoption rates in countries such as Norway.

APA

RMI (2022). Clean Energy 101: Heat Pumps. https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-heat-pumps/

Chicago

RMI. Clean Energy 101: Heat Pumps. 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-heat-pumps/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Clean Energy 101: Heat Pumps |date=12 July 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-heat-pumps/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2022clean, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Clean Energy 101: Heat Pumps}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-heat-pumps/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }