Heat pumps could cool BC without demanding too much power - Clean Energy Canada

The article highlights British Columbia’s growing challenge with increasingly intense heatwaves, which pose serious health risks, especially as 44% of households currently lack home cooling. Many residents rely on inefficient standalone air conditioners, driving up electricity demand and costs amid rising living expenses. At the same time, BC faces pressure to reduce emissions to combat climate change. Electric heat pumps emerge as a promising solution, providing both efficient cooling in summer and heating in winter, while filtering wildfire smoke and reducing emissions. New modeling commissioned by Clean Energy Canada shows that cold-climate air-source heat pumps could save households an average of $358 annually compared to natural gas systems, and over $1,000 compared to electric resistance heating. Province-wide, this could translate into $675 million in annual savings. Heat pump water heaters also offer the lowest-cost water heating option. Environmentally, switching all homes to electric heat pumps and water heating could cut emissions by 3.5 megatonnes annually, about 6% of BC’s total