Michigan is the No. 1 propane consumer in the U.S., and the U.P. has some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Two MTU studies offer solutions.
Long, cold, snowy winters are familiar to Nelson Sommerfeldt, who grew up on the Keweenaw Peninsula, graduated from Michigan Tech in 2004, and for the past 10 years has been researching sustainable energy at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. Nordic winters aren’t any warmer or shorter, but there is a major difference: In Sweden, electric heat pumps are the most common form of household heating.
Propane heating is common throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and it’s expensive. Knowing this, Sommerfeldt came back to Tech as a visiting scholar, teaming up with Tech’s solar photovoltaic (PV) experts to find out if solar heat pumps are a viable heating method for the region. “Most Yoopers would save money by upgrading their propane heaters with heat pumps and solar. UPPCO’s high prices can be a barrier, but their new electric heating rates combined with existing solar PV rebates should tip the scales in favor of solar heat pumps,” said Sommerfeldt.
While propane has been headlining the news lately, most U.P. residents use natural gas for heating. In the second study, the team tested how net-zero energy homes using solar heat pumps compare economically to homes using natural gas. The study, conducted in the neighboring towns of Sault Ste. Marie in the U.S. and Canada, used current electricity and gas rates combined with net metering to determine that a solar PV system can cover 100% of a home’s energy needs at a lower cost than natural gas. While the systems require a large investment, researchers point out that they provide better returns than comparable financial products, including U.S. Certificates of Deposit (CDs) or Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) in Canada.
“This is the first study in North America showing that solar heat pumps can compete with natural gas,” Sommerfeldt said. “Even though you won’t get rich, you do save money and emissions, a win-win!”
Sommerfeldt said heat pumps, which function like an air conditioner running in reverse, are one of the biggest climate actions homeowners can take for themselves year-round—especially when paired with solar PV—because heat pumps can function as air conditioners during hot summer weather.
“In the U.P., heating accounts for 75% of our homes’ energy use. Solar PV is great, but electrifying heating boosts emissions reductions by 500% more than PV alone. You can save money in the long run,” he said.
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