By Francesco Lo Presti
View the full presentation on “The Canadian Heat Pump Landscape.”
During our Heat Pump Technical Training Day event on Sept. 10, the day wrapped up with a panel discussion on “The Canadian Heat Pump Landscape.”
In this panel discussion, our editor, Leah Den Hartogh, sat down with Kevin Dupuis of King Home Canada, Perry Chao of the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), Todd Backus of TECA, Bo DeAngelo of Stone Mountain Technologies, and Tom Breen from Metalworks, to discuss the future of heat pumps, and the good, bad and ugly sides of the industry.
Here are some highlights of the discussion.
Question One: What are the main factors contributing to the slow adoption of heat pumps?
Breen: I’ll jump in on this first. I think it comes down to three things — training, training, training. We’re finding a real slow translation of information from the manufacturer/engineering level to the homeowner level. This process involves working with distributors and contractors, which is currently being done at a slow pace.
Dupuis: I agree with this 100 per cent. I would also argue that the government subsidies that have been put in place are hurting the adoption as well. Specifically, they are promoting the installation of incorrect equipment in the wrong houses. A lot of people are just going for the “max value,” which means they are looking for the smallest number on their receipt. So, many people are simply providing what the client wants, but perhaps not what the client needs.
Backus: I think the adoption is also regional. For me, I’m out in B.C., and what I’ve noticed is that there are advantages for heat pump adoption here. Our climate is very mild, where the bulk of the population resides, and there were some early adopters of heat pumps on Vancouver Island, as there was limited access to gas. We have also had a very successful rebate program that has gone on, but there are a lot of challenges on the training and regulatory side of things.
Breen: It would be really helpful if everyone were moving at the same speed. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Backus: Also, one of the interesting changes that’s gone on in the B.C. building code, as of 2024, is that there is a requirement for cooling in at least one room. I think this will clearly drive heat pump adoption up because it is challenging to cool just one room; it’s possible, but there are challenges. Additionally, the reality is that most homes have a centrally ducted system, making it more sensible to install a heat pump. There could be dual systems being installed, but again, given our mild climate, we can get away with just a heat pump.
Question Two, asked by DeAngelo: With this new change in the code, do you anticipate this will affect retrofits or new construction, and will this drive energy consumption up in B.C.?
Backus: This will impact just new construction, and I do believe it will increase energy consumption. However, BC Hydro does offer a number of rebates for retrofitting older dwellings. Additionally, one of the latest developments in multi-unit residential buildings is the effort to remove old baseboard heaters and replace them with heat pumps. Many of these are electric, and there are some hydronic ones, but electric is extremely popular here.
Dupuis: Well, coming from Québec, we’ve been on electric heat pumps for a really long time. I know that in newer condos, we are forced to interlock our heat pumps with baseboard heaters. So, there needs to be a separate control on the wall that controls both at the same time. We are implementing a lot more heat pumps in newer residences. As far as retrofits go, getting that gas and oil out is really difficult because the people who know that heat love that heat.
Breen: That’s a good point. A significant part of the challenge for contractors speaking with building owners or homeowners who are not as familiar with the equipment is moving them out of their comfort zone. You know, most of them all they’ve ever known is heating their home with gas, or their home is rural, so all they know is heating with oil. A good step is to show them the technical information at the kitchen table, which is a great way to do so, and rebates always help. However, there is an onus to make the rebates easy to understand, and I don’t believe the government has achieved that.
Chao: To echo what Tom said earlier, education is extremely important for contractors. Obviously, consumers need to be educated because they only know what they know, and it will take a lot of effort from all parties involved (government, utilities, contractors) to encourage them to move out of their comfort zone.
Question Three: So, does the onus fall on the contractor to educate homeowners on heat pumps?
Breen: Ultimately, yes. They are the ones in contact with the customers.
DeAngelo: I was going to echo what Tom said because he alluded to it before, and Perry went out and stated it. The consumer does need to be educated, and it really comes down to the contractor. This also requires a different set of training skills and a different set of application skills for the contractor. One of the significant obstacles we see throughout North America is that consumers are confused between return on investment and payback. If they spend $20,000 on a system, they want to know when they will get that back, and they’re not. So, contractors need to be really comfortable in explaining this and explaining where that return on investment is coming from. Unfortunately, there is a significant difference between the two, and many contractors dislike getting into that conversation.
Audience Comment: You are also forgetting the major costs quoted and the misrepresentation by contractors.
DeAngelo: I can start. On a parallel, and probably Tom and Perry can speak to this, there is more work than you have contractors to do. So it is very easy for contractors, distributors, and manufacturers to sell boxes of equipment rather than sell value or the result. This is a challenge I’m not sure how we overcome, but the better contractors are able to separate themselves in that setting and sell the value of what they are doing.
It’s very easy for contractors to just say, “Yup, sure, we can give you a new heat pump, etc.” But we need to move away from that approach.
Dupuis: Coming from a more manufacturer’s background and also being the guy who has installed it, what happens is sales guys don’t get the training they need as well. You come in as a manufacturer and you say, “I have a unit and we can do x, y, z, within these limitations.” But all the salespeople heard was, “You can do that.” So, the salespeople go out and start selling what they are told, but they forget about the limitations. Again, this brings us back to the original topic of training.
Chao: Just to put it out there, HRAI does spend a lot of time talking to the government about the design of rebate programs, and this conversation has touched on two key points: ensuring technicians have the confidence and certification and also that the consumers have many different voices to hear from when they are making their decisions.