By David Smedick | Tue, August 4, 26
States in the Northeast are all-in on heat pumps. Sales of these high-performance HVAC systems that provide year-round comfort increased nearly 400% between 2013 – 2021 thanks to technology improvements, financial incentives, and policy support. Consumers are increasingly turning to heat pumps for year-round comfort and lower energy costs, and numerous states in the region now aim for heat pumps to make up 65% of all residential HVAC sales by 2030.
But technology, incentives, and policy alone will not achieve that vision. Success depends on the people who install these systems. The HVAC workforce is central to heat pump growth and could be a make-or-break factor for whether households ultimately experience the comfort and affordability benefits these systems can deliver.
Meeting growing demand will require significantly more trained and qualified heat pump installers. It may sound simple, but it can be complicated to introduce new technologies and best practices to an industry that has been successfully installing one-way ACs and furnaces for decades. Fortunately, the energy efficiency and HVAC industries have a decades-old framework in place that can evolve to better support heat pump deployment—contractor networks.
For decades, utilities, governments, and energy efficiency product manufacturers have established and leveraged networks of contractors to train individuals and companies on technology advancements, advertise and distribute rebates to help consumers save money, and attract new talent into the industry. Energy efficiency contractor networks are typically associated with delivering state or ratepayer funded energy efficiency programs. Participating contractors agree to support the program by promoting incentives and energy efficiency best practices, and, in turn, receive assistance with marketing their services and access to exclusive business support and technical training.
As the heat pump market expands, contractor networks should evolve into or host Heat Pump Installer Networks (HPINs). HPINs build on the traditional contractor network model by incorporating heat pump-specific training, installation best practices, quality assurance standards, and targeted incentive offerings. The result is a stronger, more specialized workforce that delivers higher-quality installations and greater confidence for consumers.
HPINs are relatively new to the energy efficiency workforce, but the early returns are promising – Massachusetts alone has over 1,500 contractors in its Mass Save HPIN, New York has over 900 HPIN contractors, and even less populous states like Connecticut have over 500 HPIN contractors. However, since these HPINs have only existed for a few years, little has been done to coalesce best practices for creating and supporting these networks. To help scale HPINs across the Northeast, NEEP, with key support from Abode Energy Management, has developed a new resource – our Heat Pump Installer Network Best Practices Guide.
Through interviews with program administrators and research into existing networks, five best practices emerged for building and sustaining a successful Heat Pump Installer Network.
Emphasize high-quality heat pump system sizing and design
Heat pump projects, especially those in colder climates, can be complicated. Heat pump contractors need to be up-to-date and comfortable with Manual J calculations, humidity impact evaluations, Manual S system selection, and much more. Physical installation best practices are vital, but so are proper sizing and design decisions. HPINs and the programs they support should require, or at the very least emphasize, the importance of proper sizing and design choices in each project and communicate these standards in required training.
Prioritize flexible continuing education offerings that highlight emerging innovations and best practices
The heat pump market is rapidly changing so it is important for HPINs to support participating contractors’ ability to stay up to date on emerging industry standards, policy and regulatory shifts, sales techniques, innovative tools to help with sizing, design, and installation choices, and more. HPINs need to support an array of training methods including virtual webinars, short videos to refresh best practices, in-person and hands-on courses, and ad-hoc program support can help keep the network current with industry best practices.
Provide continuous learning and accountability through meaningful quality assurance
Quality assurance and control (QA/QC) procedures are vital to ensure the success and trust of the broader energy efficiency program. Program managers need to know that projects are delivering energy savings results, consumers need to have confidence that the work being performed is high quality, and contractors need to be held to the standards that will provide successful results. Robust QA/QC helps ensure households actually experience the lower energy bills and comfort improvements they were promised. At the same time, QA/QC should not be viewed solely as an enforcement mechanism. The most effective HPINs use project reviews as opportunities for coaching and professional development, providing contractors with actionable feedback whenever installations deviate from program requirements or recognized best practices.
Build community and make participation valuable for contractors
HPINs are only as successful as the participating contractors. HPIN administrators need to attract contractors by making it worth their while to join. The clearest way to attract participation is to establish rebate exclusivity for HPIN contractors. Tying a project's rebate access to use of a participating contractor creates a direct market for contractors while simultaneously ensuring incentives reach households and help reduce upfront costs. But the most successful HPINs will go further – they will help cultivate a community by establishing meaningful feedback loops to discuss and address program or network design and promote contractors within “find a contractor” tools. Contractors will be attracted to and invested in HPINs that support their growth in addition to meeting program goals.
Balance local flexibility with regional consistency
Every heat pump project is unique and requires site-specific nuance that could be impacted by space constraints, climate, or full household electrification considerations. However, greater consistency across utility territories and state programs can make it easier for contractors to participate and scale their businesses. While experienced installers understand how to adapt to individual homes, navigating a patchwork of differing program requirements—even within the same state—creates unnecessary administrative burdens. Where possible, program administrators should identify opportunities to streamline and share participation requirements and best practices.
Looking ahead, HPINs are not the only tool to grow and hone the heat pump workforce. However, at this stage of market development, HPINs are a clear choice for any jurisdiction looking to deploy this efficient technology and to ensure high-quality installations, making the transition to clean, efficient heating and cooling more affordable and more successful for households across the region.
