“It’s a Peace of Mind Kind of Thing”
Retiring in Climate-Friendly Comfort
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Four Heat Pumps and a Promise
It all started a little over four years ago with what lifelong Penfield resident, Al Hibner, called “four heat pumps and a promise.” Al recognized both the environmental benefits and cost savings of transitioning to a home free of fossil fuels, and he embarked on this journey toward decarbonization step by step. Recently retired, Al and his wife were initially concerned about maintaining comfort, but they were encouraged to discover that energy-efficient solutions like heat pumps allowed them to reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing quality of life.
“My wife and I are in our mid-70s,” Al said. “We’re aging in place. We intend to stay in this home for as long as we possibly can, and comfort was key. So, bottom line, we’re not giving up anything and paying a lot less to get it.”
Photos by Lauren Petracca
Project Overview
Four heat pumps
Weatherization
Geothermal system
Financial Incentives
Average cost to heat and cool home every month: $53
Used 6.6 kw hours (less than $1 / day) in the hottest week of the year this summer
26% tax credit for geothermal (this rate has since increased by several points)
Roughly $7,000 in point of sale rebates with vendor
Total geothermal cost almost cut in half after all incentives and rebates
Project team
AMPED
ACES Energy (geothermal contractor)
Highlights
Considerable cost savings, living carbon neutral lifestyle / peace of mind
In 2020, when the couple’s 32 year-old furnace reached the end of its life cycle and needed to be replaced, they had an air source heat pump installed on the wall in their basement. The following year, they decided to upgrade the main heating and air conditioning system by having a geothermal system installed, which not only heats and cools their home but also provides hot water. . Finally, in 2022, they replaced their old dryer with an electric and efficient heat pump dryer. All of these upgrades, supported by significant rebates and incentives, have resulted in considerable cost savings. For example, cooling costs were less than $1 a day during the hottest week this past summer, and over 17% in electricity savings from the insulation and air sealing work done in 2022.
Al noted that installation of the heat pumps was minimal in terms of disruption. Even geothermal, which took a couple of weeks and was much more extensive than the other installations, ultimately left no mark on the yard. “Overall, there’s been zero impact. You would never know we have a big 5,000 cubic yard battery under a nice topping of grass.”
Al is so impressed by the positive impact of the upgrades, he leads educational demonstrations to share his story with the community backed by meticulous documentation that shows what is possible. Some of the pictures on this case study are from his very own presentations.
His first word of advice is not to get overwhelmed by the process but to just start with a free energy assessment through AMPED to see what options and cost savings are available. Al shared that the process is made easy with clear recommendations for next steps, whether through weatherization to seal and increase efficiency with minimal cost or exploring other avenues for improvement.
“We’re enjoying living in our all-electric home,” Al shared with a beaming smile. “It’s a peace of mind kind of thing: Comfort with excellent cost savings and not burning any fossil fuels and exposing ourselves to any kind of emissions from burning natural gas.”
