Heat pump technology may narrow the energy equity gap
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon and the University of Maryland found that an emerging technology known as heat pumps leads to reduced disparities in thermal comfort across different income groups.
As the energy transition continues to shift the focus from fossil fuels to climate-friendly alternatives, adopting clean energy technologies could revolutionize the way we heat and cool our homes. From skyrocketing energy bills to inadequate indoor temperatures, energy insecurity is a growing concern among millions of households, suggesting the need for a new approach to improve indoor comfort.
Heat pumps are an emerging technology that have the potential to alleviate energy insecurity and reduce household energy expenses. Instead of generating heat, heat pumps work by transferring thermal energy between the inside and outside of a home.
In a new study published in Nature Energy, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Maryland examined the relationship between heat pump adoption and household energy insecurity using electricity records from 8,656 households in Phoenix, Arizona. By employing a thermal comfort index (the temperature at which individuals turn on their heating or cooling system), the researchers found that households with heat pumps initiate cooling at nearly one degree Celsius lower than those without and consume less electricity per degree of temperature increase.
“Many low-income households currently don’t use enough energy to keep their homes safe during extreme weather. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates this is between 10–15 million homes, so it is important to understand how cooling and heating infrastructure will impact this divide,” said Destenie Nock, assistant professor of engineering and public policy and civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon, and lead co-author of the study.
Energy insecurity can disproportionately affect different groups of people and is exacerbated by several factors including income inequality, racial disparities, differences in energy access between rural and urban areas, COVID-19 pandemic impacts, and ongoing climate change issues. The disparities between income or ethnic groups in terms of the outdoor temperature at which individuals turn on their air conditioning can be defined as the energy equity gap.
In this study, researchers found that heat pumps lead to reduced disparities in thermal comfort across different income groups, suggesting that this new technology could help narrow the energy equity gap.
Using the same technology as an air conditioner, heat pumps provide both heating and cooling to a home. In the summer, heat pumps work to pull hot air out of your home and push it outside, generating a cooling effect. In the winter, the process reverses, and warm air is pulled from the outside and moved indoors. This transfer of energy promotes greater efficiency and comfortable indoor temperatures.
In addition to reducing energy costs and alleviating energy insecurity, heat pumps are crucial to global decarbonization, leading many governments to offer rebates and tax credits to encourage their installation.
“Recent policy shifts—particularly through incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—are changing the calculus for clean heating technologies,” Nock said. “By doubling or even tripling rebate support for low-to-moderate income families, these policies are finally making heat pump adoption not just a possibility but a financially viable path toward energy equity and climate resilience. However, if the current administration repeals the IRA, it will be uncertain how many people can make use of the financial incentives.”
As climate change continues to present challenges, the need to maintain safe indoor temperatures without breaking the bank is paramount. Heat pumps are an affordable alternative to traditional cooling and heating systems, thereby reducing the energy equity gap and energy insecurity.
“As climate change drives more extreme heat and cold, technologies like heat pumps can offer a pathway to safe, affordable, and sustainable indoor comfort for everyone,” Nock said. “Now it will be imperative to make sure households have access to this technology.”