With 2024 now behind us and the first months of 2025 underway, here’s a recap of what the HeatSmart Alliance has been up to! We’ll start by discussing our coaching and outreach efforts. Upcoming blogs will put the spotlight on membership growth and changes in our organization, as well as what our technology working group accomplished last year.
As many of you know, the Alliance was formed in 2020 by a group of Massachusetts residents who wanted to address carbon pollution. Specifically, they wanted to educate people about the benefits of energy-efficient heating and cooling systems like heat pumps, and help other members of the community transition to these climate-forward technologies. Since then, the Alliance has grown considerably, but the mission remains the same. So, what progress did it make towards achieving its climate goals in 2024?
In 2024, the Alliance coached more than 130 homeowners across Massachusetts on adopting heat pumps. Many of those who learned from its coaches have begun replacing their fossil-fuel-powered HVAC systems with air-to-air and ground-source heat pumps. The rest of the coaching clients are well-informed about what to do if they decide to decarbonize their homes in the future!
The Alliance also worked to make sure there are enough volunteers to provide one-on-one guidance to Massachusetts residents who want to heat smart. In 2024, it offered a 5-session coach-training course to residents in 24 cities and towns across the commonwealth, which covered the science behind heat pumps, how to compare devices, choose an installer, and read installer quotes. Its newly minted coaches will join a cohort that’s now more than 60 people strong across the state.
In addition, the Alliance broadened its efforts to mentor community-based organizations that want coaching programs of their own. To date, more than a dozen communities across Massachusetts have started local heat pump coaching programs, and they reach out to the Alliance regularly for training and advice. Groups from other states have sought help from the organization, as well. Check out what York Ready for Climate Action in Maine said about starting their climate program at an Alliance monthly meeting.
Simply put, it’s been doing our bit in the state-wide efforts to decarbonize homes: It estimate that 800 to 1,200 homeowners received heat-pump coaching in 2024 through the HeatSmart Alliance and various local, community-based coaching programs in Massachusetts. That’s enough to lower CO2 emissions by 3,000 metric tons–the equivalent of the weight of 40 Tahoes worth of carbon. It also means we are more than a quarter of the way towards making heat pumps the predominant choice for households in the commonwealth by 2050, which is one of the state’s broader climate goals. But there is still more work to be done!
Outreach
The Alliance also knows that if it wants homeowners to adopt more climate-forward heating and cooling systems, it needs to get the word out about heat pumps!
In 2024, Alliance members joined community-based groups like The Harvard Climate Initiative, Sustainable Stowe, Dover Unplugged, and the North Parish Climate Justice Group to present at more than 30 events, both virtually and in person. At these gatherings, Alliance members answered questions about installing heat pumps, cost estimates, and how to get started replacing an aging HVAC system.
Last but not least, the Alliance completed a major overhaul of its website! It reorganized all the information on its digital home and presented it in a more visually appealing way. It edited all the content for readability and added interactive maps. Now that it’s finished, it hopes you love the result as much as its members do!
In 2025, its goal is to keep building the positive momentum and help even more people install heat pumps, while continuing to spread the word about how efficient, safe, and comfortable these technologies can be.
Stay tuned to learn more, including what the technology working group has been up to, as well as changes in the Alliance’s organization!
