A California Program Is Bringing Down the Cost of Heat Pumps by Buying Bulk

Post by amluto » Mon, Aug 10, 2026, 8:22 PM UTC

kylehotchkiss wrote: post #4

magicalhippo wrote: post #2

I'm always amazed at how much these costs in the US. Wild prices even for a Norwegian. We have a two-story home half his size, but one minisplit upstairs and one downstairs would be $3-4000 installed, combined, and that's upper or top-end models. The ones I got would easily handle a house of his size.

If there's ductwork, it's something being installed into the building that has to pass inspections. It's not just one or two holes in the walls that need to be sealed.

Post by wesleyd » Mon, Aug 10, 2026, 10:33 PM UTC

amluto wrote: post #22

kylehotchkiss wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If there's ductwork, it's something being installed into the building that has to pass inspections. It's not just one or two holes in the walls that need to be sealed.

No one in their right mind runs ductwork between the interior and exterior of the building in residential installations. There’s power, possible control wiring, and two or (in exotic installations) three refrigerant pipes. (In a more enlightened world, I think that a system with the refrigerant fully contained within the outdoor unit that uses plain water as the heat exchange fluid could make a lot of sense, and this…

Post by exabrial » Mon, Aug 10, 2026, 11:00 PM UTC

dlcarrier wrote: post #11

exabrial wrote: post #9

What actually happened [probably], in California: A heatpump salesman has a buddy that is a government official. Has outdated models he needs to liquidate. Salesman guy needs to be richer. Government official can't take the money directly, but sure would like to fly on salesman guys' private jet when they go golfing. Meanwhile government official guy goes and buys a bunch of Salesman company stock and profits explode…

I'm amazed by how difficult it is to get modern variable-speed heat pumps in California. You're lucky to get a two-speed unit, but they're only marginally better than single-speed. We're stuck with 80's technology because there's literally a list of what you're allowed to install. They claim it's to only allow energy efficient units, but the list is dominated by older inefficient models. On top of that, you can't hav…

Post by nitwit005 » Tue, Aug 11, 2026, 12:32 AM UTC

exabrial wrote: post #27

nitwit005 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That you struggle to believe a government could ever operate modestly more efficiently, doesn't mean it never happens.

California is a shining example of where it does not happen.

Post by ericd » Tue, Aug 11, 2026, 1:07 AM UTC

cityofdelusion wrote: post #19

gwittel wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Modern heat pumps easily keep efficiency below freezing. Ours goes to 22F before there’s any efficiency drop. A different model goes below 0F (we just didn’t need it). But yes, many makers push the crappier old tech models that bail around 50F.

This wording is inaccurate. It isn't about "modern" heat pumps, its about if another $2-3,000 of electronics and clever injection systems are worth letting the refrigeration cycle work at the extremes. For a lot of the U.S. there is just no need to have a system that is a lot less repairable just to get that efficiency below 50F. The complexity differences between a variable speed system that can work over a 100F deg…