Decarbonizing Buildings with Geothermal Heat Pumps

Atlas Public Policy is excited to launch our new podcast series “Buildings Hub Live” where we spotlight the changemakers and technologies leading the charge to electrify our built environment. Join us for our inaugural session on Tuesday, July 12 at 3 PM EST where we’ll drill down with Kathy Hannun, President & Founder of Dandelion Energy, and Alexis McKittrick, Program Manager with the Geothermal Technologies Office at the US Department of Energy, to discuss the role for geothermal heat pumps in decarbonizing the US buildings stock.

Space heating, air conditioning, and water heating are responsible for around 70 percent of US household energy consumption, and buildings generate nearly 15 percent of total US carbon emissions. According to the US Department of Energy, geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly option for home heating and cooling. Under the right conditions, geothermal heat pumps can replace traditional air conditioning units, boilers, furnaces, and water heaters, provide substantial cost savings to homeowners, and reduce household emissions and carbon monoxide risks. Drawing upon the near-constant temperature (~50°) of the shallow subsurface, geothermal heat pumps channel subterranean heat into homes during the winter, and pull heat from buildings and inject it into the ground in the summer.