Cold-Climate Electrification in South Minneapolis

The Goal

The owners of this 1926 Bancroft neighborhood home wanted to reduce carbon emissions and monthly energy costs. Their existing gas boiler provided heat but no air conditioning, and an aging gas water heater had also been flagged as a venting safety concern.

An energy audit showed that the home's windows, attic insulation, and wall insulation were in good enough condition to move into system planning.

Nick's Role

In his prior role with MSP Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, Nick Bender helped the homeowners turn a wide range of contractor recommendations into a practical design. He presented three configurations for the 1,742 square foot home. The selected approach split the house into two zones, with a ducted attic system upstairs and a ductless unit serving the open main floor.

The broader project paired the heat pumps with a heat-pump water heater, induction cooking, and a 200-amp electrical panel upgrade.

The Result

Five months after installation, the homeowners reported that heating costs were the same or lower than the previous year, even with changes in weather and energy prices making exact comparisons difficult. They estimated that replacing most of their winter gas use would avoid about 6.6 metric tons of carbon emissions each winter.

The original boiler remained available as backup during the first season. After using it on seven intermittent cold-weather days, the homeowners believed the heat-pump system could likely have carried more of the load on its own.

Source Coverage

The homeowner's full project journal was originally published by Fresh Energy.