Heat pumps (air-source, ground-source, water-source)

Buildings consume about 40% of global energy and produce roughly the same share of carbon emissions. Most of this energy gets wasted through poor insulation, inefficient heating and cooling systems, and outdated design practices.

The building sector moves slowly — most structures last decades, and retrofitting existing buildings is complex and expensive. Meanwhile, billions of people worldwide still rely on polluting fuels for basic needs like cooking and heating water, creating both climate and health problems.

Solving building energy waste requires both cutting-edge technology and practical approaches that work at massive scale. The opportunity is enormous: dramatically reducing emissions while making buildings more comfortable and affordable to operate.

Most buildings worldwide still burn gas, oil, or coal for heat, or use electricity from fossil fuel power plants for cooling. This creates direct emissions and locks in decades of future pollution.

Electrifying building heating and cooling is essential for decarbonization, but requires new technologies that work efficiently in different climates and building types.

Electric systems that move heat rather than generate it, making them 2-4 times more efficient than traditional heating. Air-source heat pumps extract heat from outdoor air even in cold weather. Ground-source systems use stable underground temperatures. Water-source heat pumps use nearby water bodies. Modern heat pumps can replace both heating and cooling systems.