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05/22/2023 03:39 PMThe Clean Energy Task Force of North Haven will host an education forum on June 1 at the North Haven Memorial Library to discuss a new alternative energy option and its cost-saving measures for homeowners.
The education forum is part of the town’s new HeatSmart campaign, which will run through the rest of 2023. At the heart of the campaign is a strong emphasis on promoting affordable air-source heat pump technology.
The forum is the culmination of numerous successful efforts by the Task Force since its formation in 2007. These include three Home Energy Solution (HES) assessment campaigns, where the Task Force collaborated with state energy organizations and vendors to perform evaluations of household energy performances and suggest cost-saving measures to owners.
These and other developmental efforts aim to support North Haven households, local businesses, and public buildings to be more energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprint. Task Force leader Kenny Foscue said installing economical heat pump technology into properties such as residential homes is a step in the right direction to continue that mission.
“That really is the next big thing after you have your house made more energy efficient,” said Foscue. “We need to move away from dependency on fossil fuels, and heat pumps are a great technology for that.”
Foscue said the task force is collaborating with the People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) for technical support in the campaign and is also continuing to work with past partners EnergizeCT.
Representatives from EnergizeCT and “energy-concierges” from I Heart My Home CT will speak at the forum. According to Foscue, speakers from both groups will be providing “Heat Pump 101” information and guidance on home energy assessments that include the installation of heat pumps. Among other points, attendees will learn about how heat pumps can be affordable alternatives to provide heat and cooling in homes and help reduce homeowners’ carbon outputs.
Foscue said the forum will act as a “soft launch” for the campaign during the summer, with another round of communication and education, including an additional forum, sometime in the fall.
The economic benefits of heat pumps are already known to the Task Force. In a column piece published last September in the North Haven Courier, Foscue outlined the basics of heat pump technology, its functionality, cost-savings, and solutions per scenario of a homeowner concerned with an aging energy source of theirs, whether it be an old central air conditioner or furnace system.
The Town and its collaborating vendors are already committing investments in the transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy technology like heat pumps. According to Foscue, the three heat pump installers partnering with the Task Force, AM Solutions, LLC, Air, Inc., and Onofreo Home Comfort System have “agreed to make a $50 donation to the North Haven emergency fuel bank for each sale that they make.”
Dollars coming into North Haven due to the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Congress last year partly to offer funding for programs and incentives to accelerate the transition from fossil fuel to clean energy, will also provide a solid financial platform for promotion in the fall. Foscue said such backing is one of the reasons for the second round of communication later this year but that homeowners should not negate the benefits of having a heat pump installed for the hotter months approaching.
“We’re hoping that as we get more into this into the fall, we’ll know more about those larger rebates, but we want to get people to start thinking about it,” said Foscue. “If somebody is really wanting to put in air conditioning because it’s getting hotter…we want to look at heat pumps first [before other sources] because…heat pumps provide cooling and heat.”
And with the upcoming education forum and future work with collaborating vendors to promote heat pump technology, Foscue hopes that knowledge will be put into action by sensible means in North Haven.
“We’re not necessarily asking you to drop all your present way[s] or heating your house or cooling your house…but these are high-efficiency systems that work really well,” he said.
In the meantime, Foscue encourages North Haven residents who have not already registered for a HES assessment for evaluations of the energy efficiency of their insulation and heating system. The installation of clean energy technology, such as heat pumps, could be an additional step in more strongly weatherizing their homes.
“If you haven’t done that, you’re not going to see its many positive impacts from solar or heat pumps or any of these technologies. Because the more efficient your house is, the more efficient the heat pumps are going to be,” said Foscue.
EnergizeCT determines that households with an annual income equal to or below a certain rate “are eligible to receive a free home energy audit and may also qualify for low or no cost measures.” For example, a household with four occupants at or below an annual income of $75,052 would qualify. Eligibility applies to a five-occupant household at or below an annual income of $87,060 and at $39,027 at the lower end for a single-person dwelling.
The education forum will take place on June 1 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the library. For more information about HeatSmart’s involvement with North Haven, incentives, and home assessments, visit https://www.heatsmartct.org/northhaven. Foscue’s own “Heat Pump 101” September 2022 article can be accessed at https://www.zip06.com/news/20220908/more-heating-and-cooling-for-less.