https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-spark-green-home-energy/
"Perched on a small peninsula jutting from Massachusetts’ rocky North Shore,
the town of Marblehead appears, at first glance, to be a picturesque piece of
the past. But upon closer inspection, inside the antique colonial homes that
line its narrow streets, a very modern green revolution is taking root —
thanks, in part, to Lisa Wolf.
As a volunteer heat pump coach, Wolf is trained to help her neighbors switch
from fossil fuel heating methods, like furnaces and boilers, to more
energy-efficient heat pumps. Working one-on-one, she helps homeowners figure
out their options, assuages their anxieties and guides them through the steps
to make their homes a part of America’s green transition.
It’s an urgent task: About 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
come from home energy use. Technologies like electric heat pumps are about 3.5
times more energy efficient than conventional alternatives.
Marblehead is one of more than 60 municipalities across Massachusetts that have
a heat pump coaching program through the all-volunteer statewide organization
HeatSmart Alliance. Co-founded by a retired engineer and a former energy
consultant in 2020, the organization conducts multiple online sessions each
year to train coaches, who learn how to help their neighbors navigate the often
complex process of swapping out their heating and cooling systems for heat
pumps.
“There is really no specific set of knowledge that you need to have, but the
more you know, the better a coach you are,” Wolf says. Often, providing a list
of local contractors and any relevant tax rebates kickstarts the process. “Even
that gets people over the first hurdle of having no idea what to do.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
