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Let HeatSmart Be Your Guide!

During the time of Covid-19, HeatSmart hopes you and your family stay safe and healthy, and we have worked on ways to let you explore home improvement options without any risk.

Our installer partners have developed excellent remote assessment techniques.  They can look at aerial photos on line, study past fuel use records, interview the home-owner from afar and make valuable recommendations, all while keeping both the residents and the workforce safe. 
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Use this site to determine what choices might be right for you.

Welcome

The HeatSmart Program exists to help you learn about how to heat your home in ways that may save you money while making it a healthier and more comfortable place to live. Take a self-guided tour at your own pace!

Lisa Marshall

HeatSmart Program Director
​lisa@HeatSmartTompkins.org
607-500-HEAT

Need help?

Explore as much per session as you choose. 

At any point, if you have questions you want to talk about, please feel free to contact us by email or phone. We are here to help.

A few words from your neighbors...

Before we get into the dry facts, let’s hear what your neighbors who have made these transitions
​have to say about it.​

How HeatSmart helped me

​Lucy and her geothermal system, and how HeatSmart helped

Getting our house ready by insulating

​The Lesser family insulates their home and contemplates heat pump

Getting Started: Your House

Is it well insulated?  Are there cold drafts? Insufficient insulation and air sealing can result in very inefficient heating and/or air conditioning, and very large energy bills. Currently, Halco and Snug Planet are Partnered with HeatSmart to do this kind of work.
Home energy use in Tompkins County. 

Getting Started: Heating System

If the building’s outer walls, roof, and basement are holding heat in efficiently, then it’s time to look at the heating system itself.  Heating our homes accounts for about 70% of total home energy use in our region.  About a third of that is for heating water, and the rest for conditioning the space.  It’s important to look at both of these heating needs if you really want to reduce energy use.

What makes a heat pump so great for saving money, health, and comfort?​

Heat Pumps Can Efficiently Heat & Cool Your Home

All of our HeatSmart offerings are different kinds of heat pumps.  They provide the cleanest, healthiest, most comfortable heating you can buy.  Most systems include air conditioning at no extra cost.  They are super energy efficient and can save you money by lowering heating bills even though there is an up-front cost to installation.

Air Source Heat Pump Water Heaters

Air Source Heat Pump water heaters are a great fit for many homes.  They can heat water for 1/3-1/2 the cost of a classic electric resistance tank heater.  They are best when placed in a semi-conditioned basement. 

Finding the Right Heat Pump System

Now we need to find the right Heat Pump system for conditioning the rooms of your home.  There are a number of different kinds of heat pump systems, and you will want to give yourself time to make these decisions.
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During the cooling season, air source heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors, and during the heating season, air source heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house.

What makes heat pumps so efficient?

Heat Pumps are so efficient because they are not relying solely on the heat-content of the fuel used (electricity for the heat pump). Instead they are capturing energy from the environment and pumping it into your house to be released as heat. ​
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Geothermal (ground-source or water-source) heat pumps achieve higher efficiencies by transferring heat between your house and the ground or a nearby water source.

Fact Sheets

While your house gets warmer, an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) makes the outside air blowing by just a little colder.
A Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)captures heat from the ground around your house.
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❅ TIP: Don’t wait until your old system fails you mid-winter, and you have an emergency situation. ❅

Do you want to learn more?

  • ​The best first step is to enroll in the HeatSmart Program, which takes only 3-4 minutes, and request one or more free assessments. 
  • Assessments are free, and there are no penalties for not buying anything. It all depends on your decision whether you go forward with home improvements or not.
  • You will find four Installer partners listed on the enrollment form; Dailey Electric, Halco, NP Environmental, and Snug Planet; and you can check off any combination of them you choose. 
  • The form comes to HeatSmart and we immediately forward your lead to the installers you have indicated.  They then get in touch with you to set up an appointment.
Are any of these home health and comfort 
concerns on your checkup list? ⬇︎
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How do you know what’s best for your home? 

  • Start off by enrolling for a free assessment with no obligation from one or more of the HeatSmart Installer partners. View installer selection guide. 
  • Compare their ideas, consider both ASHP and GSHP, and then make up your mind. HeatSmart is also here to help. [link to ASHP vs GSHP comparison]. 
  • Feel free to call Lisa at any time to explore your questions.

Can I power heat pump systems renewably?

Yes! Once you have put in a heat pump system it may be the right time to power your home with renewable energy.

​There are cost-effective options in community solar and wind. You can find some available options under the Resources menu on our main site.

ESCOs

You can choose an Energy Supply Company (ESCO) that offers 100% renewable electricity.

Community Solar

Access clean energy  and get credits toward your energy bill. 

But wait, there's more...

While we hope that this concentration of resources has given you a good idea of what the options are, there are many additional resources accessible from our home page.

​There are more case studies, more opportunities to learn about the participating installers, detailed information about the HeatSmart Program, and a list of on-line events such as live webinars and home tours that you can take advantage of.
​
We're here to help!

Lisa Marshall

HeatSmart Program Director
​lisa@HeatSmartTompkins.org
607-500-HEAT

Get started by enrolling! We'll work with you to make sure you meet all the qualifications.

© 2022 HeatSmart Tompkins, a project of Solar Tompkins
Ithaca, New York | 850-291-5259 | Send us an email