High Efficiency Products

The (Possible) Evolution of the Window AC Unit 

Mittens, where are my mittens - I’m freezing!

That might be a familiar refrain during winter months in New England, but this time, it was Memorial Day weekend! I woke up at my parents’ house in New Hampshire to a cool 43 degrees – on May 29! Thankfully, they have air source heat pumps that are keeping the house warm, and I soon forgot about my mittens and focused on a hot cup of tea.

Easing Concerns about Refrigerant Flammability

Refrigerant is the lifeblood of an HVAC system, absorbing and releasing heat to keep our homes and buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This “juice” that runs through the refrigeration cycle comes in many chemical forms, each with particular safety considerations. Throughout history, scientists have chased safer refrigerants.

Testing the Resilience of Contractors in the Age of COVID-19

We’ve all been reeling from the effects of COVID-19. Since March of 2020, our personal and professional lives have been altered in ways both big and small. It’s no different within certain sectors of the economy. Nowhere is this more true than the energy efficiency industry. And within the energy efficiency industry, HVAC contractors may be bearing perhaps the greatest brunt of burdens from COVID-19; they’ve been struggling to get through the pandemic since original restrictions were imposed.

Stories from Costa Rica: Scaling up Heat Pumps in the Northeast and beyond

My vacation to Costa Rica last week was a brilliant reminder of two things. One, Costa Rica is very hot, even in February. And two, air source heat pumps are incredibly effective at what they’re designed to do. Truly, the difference between being indoors versus outdoors during the Costa Rican dry season was night and day. The Airbnb my partner and I rented in Tamarindo, a little beach town on the northwestern coast, was equipped with two state-of-the-art heat pump units that kept us comfortable all hours of the day.

Buying an ASHP: An Insider's Story

Last fall, just as the weather started to turn, my old AC condenser met its death. It was a sad time – not because I needed to worry about cooling my house, but because all I saw was a future filled with dollar signs and stress.

Thankfully, I work at NEEP, and know all about the benefits of heat pumps. An air source heat pump (ASHP) seemed like the logical, no-brainer next step. Turns out, this next step was going to be quite an educational experience.

Here are five key things I learned about ASHPs as I navigated the market as a consumer:

The Endless Possibilities of Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

As glaciers and ice sheets melt, sea levels rise, and several species like the white rhinoceros are decimated down to their last, I have been reading about Greta Thunberg and her fight to save our future planet. Her passion at times can be both awe-inspiring and guilt-inducing, but her impact is undoubtedly sobering.

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