Getting Ready: Heat pumps, retrofits, and a greener future

Even with our long, freezing winters, Maine is leading the country in heat pump adoption, adding 100,000 heat pumps by 2023 and raising its goal to 175,000 heat pump units by 2027.

You have probably seen heat pumps going in around town, in private homes, businesses, and as part of the recent Town Hall renovation. York has certainly been part of the boom in heat pump adoption.

York Ready for Climate Action’s Energy Coach program has been advising residents for more than a year as they navigate the process of retrofitting homes with technologies like heat pumps, weather sealing, home energy audits, window inserts and induction stoves. To date, the program has worked with 93 households, covering 61 installations.

“We are proud of the progress we’ve made. We’ve built a strong program. An area of growth for us now is helping lower-income residents find funding for retrofits,” says Rozanna Patane, volunteer program coordinator for the Energy Coaches.

It is a core value of York Ready for Climate Action (YRCA) to make sure that the benefits of home retrofits reach all residents, regardless of their ability to finance their own projects. This was part of the motivation behind the recent WindowDressers build in York, which constructed 150 insulating window inserts for local households. A sliding fee scale was offered to allow anyone to afford the inserts.

Helping to fund retrofits is also the reason behind the Household Equity Fund, a small but growing fund established by YRCA to help qualifying homeowners bridge the gap between the cost of installations and the rebates available through Efficiency Maine.

There is a lot of good news coming from Efficiency Maine, the “quasi-state agency established to plan and implement energy efficiency programs in Maine.”

In April of 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted Maine $62 million to provide solar power and energy storage for lower-income households in the state. We look forward to learning how this “Solar for All” program will work and anticipate having more details early next year.

Additionally, a program for mobile homeowners was just announced through Efficiency Maine. “Efficiency Maine is offering up to 85% of the cost of ducted heat pump systems to help income-eligible homeowners in single-wide manufactured (mobile) homes reduce their heating costs, provide a cooling option in the summer, and save money.” To qualify, residents must reside year-round in a mobile home currently heated by propane or kerosene; and, a member of the household must use MaineCare, HEAP, SNAP or TANF, or earn a household income 80% or less of the median income for York County. Financing to cover the remaining 15% of the cost is available through Efficiency Maine.

As we look to a clean energy future, it is essential that all members of our community be included in the transition. We are fortunate that Efficiency Maine has taken this issue seriously and provides assistance to make it possible for everyone to benefit from energy efficiency. YRCA joins them in that goal.

Marina Mails is the executive director for York Ready for Climate Action.