Use Heat Pumps
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Physics, Economics, Engineering
Authors: Project Drawdown
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This interactive article examines the implementation of heat pumps as a climate solution, conventional heating methods that they can replace, and data for the climate impacts on a 100-yr and 20-yr timescale.
- Students will learn the financial implications, reduced carbon emissions, and implementation scenarios associated with high-efficiency heat pumps.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article is well-rounded and considers many factors, including acknowledging that heat pumps can be expensive.
- This article provides information on what makes a heat pump efficient and the benefits to people as a climate mitigation and climate adaptation strategy.
Prerequisites
- It may benefit students to know about refrigerants and other terms related to this article.
- Students should understand climate change and how typical HVAC systems contribute to climate change.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can use this article and other building-related solutions, found in this resource, for an informative essay on different methods of residential decarbonization.
- To assess prior knowledge, the teacher can ask the class how they heat their homes before reading the article.
- This article can enhance a classroom discussion on how governments can increase the adoption of heat pumps.
- This article can support a lesson on the mechanical differences between heat pumps and conventional air conditioning systems.
This resource provides a detailed analysis of high efficiency heat pumps and how they could replace coal, gas, and oil boilers, low efficient air conditioners, electric resistance heaters and conventional HVAC systems. There is a growing demand for adopting this technology as the most suitable measure to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Datasets used in modeling the different scenarios and pathways have been verified, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
