NONTECHNICAL BARRIERS TO BUILDING DECARBONIZATION IN THE US

The need to reduce anthropogenic carbon emissions into the atmosphere is abundantly clear. It is also becoming widely accepted that transitioning to air source heat pumps (ASHP) is an essential part of the solution to decarbonizing buildings. The technological barriers to such a transition are covered in the literature, but the nontechnical barriers of adoption of ASHP also need to be considered. The technical focus of the decarbonization problem has blossomed into complex models as an increasing number of factors are incorporated, yielding more accurate models. Although some challenges to ASHPs are mentioned, research into the barriers and evaluation of methods to overcome those barriers are essential to successfully reduce anthropogenic carbon. Technical barriers pair with technical solutions - but nontechnical barriers are often slightly ambiguous and messy and the corresponding solutions require input from other disciplines. This research identifies the nontechnical challenges of heat pump adoption and potential solutions. First, we present a review of existing models to demonstrate the growing consensus that ASHP are an essential part of decarbonization. Second, we present the nontechnical barriers as covered in the literature and compare those with the discovered nontechnical challenges through a case study and firsthand accounts. We find that the theoretical ideas of nontechnical barriers do not all align with the barriers in reality, and that these, especially the perception of the ineffectiveness of ASHP, needs to be addressed to enable the level of adoption necessary to meet climate goals. Of the many challenges, from training to financial, the hurdle that is most pervasive, and potentially the most challenging to overcome is, perception of the ineffectiveness of heat pumps at cold temperatures. The perception of the inability of ASHP to function in cold weather is held by those from all levels of education - from the average consumer to those doing academic research on the topic. The persistence of this misunderstanding impacts incentive programs, decreases consumer confidence in the technology, installer recommendations, and increases the overall cost to transition, as a backup source of heat is recommended. Other misunderstandings and non-technical obstacles also must be identified and addressed. Only by clearly identifying the real-world challenges to adoption, potential solutions, and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies to support ASHP adoption, can the United States reach the level of ASHP penetration necessary to achieve climate goals.