Published by Commercial Property Executive: A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy finds that energy-efficient electric heat pumps cut commercial buildings’ greenhouse emissions by 44 percent. Sean Denniston, senior project manager at the New Buildings Institute, said the results highlight the important connection between efficiency and electrification. “Electrification allows the adoption of high-performance heat pumps that can be three to four times more efficient than their gas and electric resistance counterparts, and the efficiency gains are what drive the energy, lifecycle cost and GHG savings,” he said. Denniston noted that the analysis includes the cooling savings that often come with heat pump retrofits, providing important considerations for resiliency in commercial buildings. “We know that poor air quality from pollution and wildfires will mean higher demand for mechanical cooling, especially in regions that have historically depended on natural ventilation for cooling. More efficient heat pump cooling systems will reduce the energy demand from existing buildings and cut the additional energy demand from new cooling systems”.

Read More