Feb. 9: Using Heat Pumps to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Homes in Ottawa with Bill Nuttle and Holly Bickerton
We will hear from two homeowners from Ottawa who have used air source heat pumps to reduce GHG emissions from older, pre-1950s homes. Electricity generated in Ontario is over 90 percent fossil-free. Replacing a gas furnace with a heat pump is feasible in Ottawa, and it achieves a large reduction in emissions with little or no change in monthly energy costs.
Speakers:
Holly Bickerton lives in Ottawa South. Bill Nuttle lives in the Glebe. They each work in the field of environmental science and are actively promoting the switch to renewable energy in their communities.
Resource List
Nuttle, Bill. 鈥�” Medium, 8 Aug. 2022.
More Testimonials:
Bailes, Alison. “” Energy Vanguard Blog, 14 Feb. 2023
Rosenow, Jan. 鈥�”听Regulatory Assistance Project Blog, 26 June 2019.
To Begin:
Carbon footprint Calculators: and
from Better Homes Ottawa
- Also check out for heating & cooling options
聽 (more info on Air Source and Ductless Mini-splits)
(with videos and more information)
(for general information)
To Get Funding:
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) –
Natural Resources Canada –
(A (non-exhaustive) list on the Better Homes Ottawa website of contractors trained by the City of Ottawa and which are knowledgeable of deep retrofits.)
More Information:
More information about
Charbonneau, Dave. “” CTV News, 19 Jan. 2023.
Embodied CO2 Technologies:
Finnegan, C. Jones, S. Sharples 鈥溾��, Science Direct, 15 Dec. 2018.
Johnson, Eric. 鈥溾��, Energy Policy, March 2011.
Archer, Dave. 鈥溾��, Mitsubishi Electric, 10 Jan. 2022.
To Do:
- Go to Ottawa鈥檚 Home Show
- Get more information: do not hesitate to contact us and we will put you in touch with the speakers and volunteers.
- Contact our friends at for some local testimonies
Check out this Podcast:
A look at Climate Change in Canada’s capital city. This podcast explores the many facets of this growing challenge through conversations with Ottawans committed to a sustainable future.