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Canada had 15.7 million households in 2023 (2.3 billion m2 floorspace) which consumed an average of 26,201 kWh of secondary energy. Of that, 21,746 kWh (83%) was used for the thermal applications of space heating, water heating & space cooling. Each household emitted 3,622 kg of carbon, of which 3,196 kg (88%) was caused by thermal end uses. A heat pump will produce that 21,746 kWh as dispatchable (no batteries required) renewable energy, but will need 5,000 to 8,000 kWh of grid power to operate its electro-mechanical components, depending on its COP / SEER rating. Canada Energy Regulator says more than 800,000 residential heat pumps had been installed by 2023 which, assuming they were optimally sized & properly installed, means they were producing 17.4 billion kWh of renewable energy and avoiding the emission of 2.5 billion kg of climate-harming carbon emissions. Of these 800,000 residential heat pumps, 300,000 had received an incentive from the federal or provincial government. However, data on their production of renewable energy or their reduction of CO2 emissions are not identified nor included in any climate targets. Production of renewable energy from heat pumps should be recognized. The production of 17.4 billion kWh of thermal energy compares to the output of 4.7 billion kWh from solar or 40 billion kWh from wind in 2023. The undocumented production of renewable energy in the residential sector is impressive, but the potential output from Canada’s commercial-institutional sector is also massive. Toronto’s Deep Lake Water Cooling system eliminates 40 million kg of carbon each year, while the geothermal system beneath the University of Toronto reduces carbon emissions by 17 million kg. The Canadian Museum of History has used a water-source heat pump for thermal conditioning for many years, and 23 km of geothermal pipe has been drilled into Parliament Hill, but neither site has any signage and the only public mention of the latter was in the Senate newsletter. If more residential or CI sites were to quantify their production of renewable energy from heat pumps, it would facilitate a transition of incentives to be based on actual energy output (instead of price-skewing capital grants) to encourage maximum system efficiency. There may be reasons why a private installation would not want to release energy or emission data which could benefit a competitor, but these concerns should not apply to tax-funded heat pump installations. Canadians are quick to criticize government when we think it is doing something wrong, but it is rare for politicians or bureaucrats to avoid the credit limelight when they do something that is clearly a positive initiative for our country. When they use our tax dollars to do the right thing for the right reason, they should explain it and receive the credit they deserve. It should be noted that any heat pump should be installed only when the project complies with the Rule of 3C. ----- NetZeroPLUS Canada was incorporated as a non-profit association to promote full transparency of energy production & consumption, as well as the concommitant emission of carbon. If a heat pump produces 22,000 kWh of renewable energy but consumes 6,000 kWh for electro-mechanical components and the dwelling uses 5,000 kWh for lights & appliances, this means the home would produce 22,000 / consume 11,000 / be classified as netzero PLUS
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