Analysis outlines trade-offs among heat pumps, biofuels and finance to cut Vermont home emissions

A research team told the Vermont Natural Resources & Energy Committee that a menu of policies and technologies could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from the residential thermal sector, but each option carries different costs and equity implications.

"So the question we asked was what policies would be the most cost effective and equitable for achieving Vermont's climate and energy goals in the residential thermal sector?" the presenter said, summarizing the brief and the methods used: literature review, expert interviews, regression analysis and scenario projections.

The briefing described four household-level technologies: weatherization, whole-home heat pumps, single-room (ductless) heat pumps, and biofuels (biodiesel and renewable diesel). Weatherization work was described as commonly costing about $12,000 per household under federal/state weatherization assistance programs; a full home heat-pump installation in the presenter’s sample city exceeded $15,000, while single-room ductless systems often exceeded $8,000.

The presenters said modeling and engineering studies indicate heat pumps yield net savings and positive present value for homes heating with heating oil or propane, noting heat pumps work best in weatherized homes and also provide cooling. They described biofuels as two…