2. Why did you decide you needed to work on the electrification of homes as your full time occupation?

Because nobody else is doing it, and it is a massive opportunity. Equally importantly, it’s an opportunity to make the world better by fighting against climate change.It’s 100% clear to me that electrified heating is the future. Heat pumps and renewable electricity will continue to get better and cheaper, while more and more people—including policymakers and regulators—are understanding the problems caused by fossil fuels. 

 3. Why are you focusing specifically on home heating and water heating?

Home and water heating is a sector that is a major part of my own—and nearly every homeowner’s—carbon footprint, as the two combined make up over 50 percent of a home’s energy use. So far, there doesn’t seem to be much traction around solving it for cold climates. But we already have the technology! Heat pumps are well-established products that have been sold for decades. What’s missing is a way to make them cost-effective and appealing for existing natural gas users. The way we’re approaching this at 2040 Energy is to provide an integrated system: cooling, heating, and hot water, all working together. We also include thermal energy storage (i.e., a big hot water tank) to enable smart-grid technology, which can reduce electricity costs by up to 50 percent.

The 2040 Energy system is a fully-integrated system for heating, cooling, and hot water.  But you can still add components one at a time if you choose, starting with the air-source heat pump. And you will still get the full high-tech experience: energy and efficiency monitoring, automated diagnostics, and more.

9. Anything other caveats?

We’ve talked a lot about natural gas, but millions of people get their heat from propane or heating oil, which is much more expensive than natural gas. This makes electrification a lot more appealing. Pretty much anybody using these fuels for heat would save money with an electrified system; it’s a financial no-brainer.

We’ve also talked a lot about furnaces, but many homes do not have central ductwork: they are heated with boilers and radiators, so their situation is a little different. Most people with radiators are electrifying by installing mini-split heat pumps, which mount on the wall in each room to provide both cooling and heating. Then the boiler and radiators provide the backup heat. This works, but the unfortunate part is that there’s no coordination between the boiler and the mini-splits, so they sometimes work against each other. Many people find radiators to be a much more comfortable way to heat rather than warm air blowing out of the mini-split.

The 2040 Energy system can actually replace your boiler with a heat pump system, so you can power your radiators with clean, efficient, electric heat. There are only a few other niche products out there right now doing this, so I think we’re really creating some unique value in this space.

I’m installing in areas near Minneapolis and St. Paul, but I’m happy to help provide guidance for anybody that is working on electrifying their heating.