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Category: In the News

Heat Pump for the Holidays: Celebrating our 1,000th Install!

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We’re officially in the comma club (best Christmas ever). 

DR Richardson, Co-founder of Elephant Energy, shaking hands with Justin Bailey, Lafayette Homeowner, who just received the gift of a cold-climate Mitsubishi Heat Pump. Photo creds: Bri Adair

This week, Elephant Energy celebrated a milestone we’ve dreamt about since day one: our 1,000th heat pump installation. 

It took us 15 months to install our first 100 heat pumps. Today, we’re installing 100 heat pumps every month. Reaching 1,000 installations is a huge milestone – not just for Elephant Energy, but for the climate. Homes contribute 20% of climate-related emissions annually, and heating and cooling are the biggest culprits. Thanks to these 1,000 installations, our homeowners have collectively prevented more than 4,000 tons of carbon emissions that would have come from gas-powered furnaces (that’s equivalent to the emissions from driving more than 17 million miles in a gas-powered car). 

At Elephant, supporting our communities is at the heart of what we do, and it was a no-brainer to celebrate this 1,000th milestone by giving back to our community during the holiday season.

We were thrilled to donate a brand new cold-climate Mitsubishi Heat Pump to a deserving family in Lafayette, Colorado – an upgrade that will bring them year-round comfort, lower energy bills, and a smaller carbon footprint. For us, this wasn’t just about hitting a number. It was about showing what’s possible when we prioritize accessibility and affordability in electrification.

Colorado homeowner Justin Bailey had been living without central cooling, and hoped to switch to a heat pump to reduce his fossil fuel use, but was waiting for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) rebates to roll out in Colorado. Here at Elephant, we know that electrification has been inaccessible or unaffordable for far too many people for far too long, and we have made it our mission to change that. That’s why we stepped in to make his heat pump dream a reality.

Justin Bailey, Lafayette Homeowner, cutting the ribbon to his holiday gift: a brand new cold-climate Mitsubishi Heat Pump. Photo creds: Claire Duncombe, Boulder County’s Office of Sustainability, Climate Action and Resilience

“I’m a huge believer in electrification – for the climate, for your health, and for the comfort and efficiency it brings. A year ago, I started looking into getting a heat pump, but quickly realized I couldn’t afford it. I explored all the rebate programs out there, and then this amazing surprise opportunity came along from Elephant Energy. My heat pump has only been running since yesterday afternoon, but it’s completely silent, and I couldn’t be happier.” says Justin.

You know we love ribbon cuttings, so in true Elephant fashion we grabbed our Elephant-sized scissors and gathered with our local partners from the City of Lafayette, Xcel Energy, Go Electric Colorado, Rewiring America, Sierra Club, and Boulder County to celebrate this milestone and hear from the leaders on the important role they’re all playing in the home electrification movement.

We’ll continue to shout it from the rooftops: Electrification is a collective movement. This milestone is a testament to what can be achieved when people and organizations come together to make electrification a reality. Big thank you to our valued partners, Treehouse and Mitsubishi, who generously covered the cost of electrical work and equipment to help make this installation a reality.

“We’re thrilled to be working with our partners at Elephant Energy to make the implementation of clean energy technology, like heat pumps, more accessible. Through our joint efforts, we hope to make the home electrification process simpler and enable homeowners to embrace sustainable technologies with greater ease and affordability.” says Eric Owski, Founder and CEO of Treehouse.

As we look ahead to our next 1,000 installations, we’re inspired by the collaboration and shared vision that got us here. Here’s to a future where every family has access to the benefits of clean, efficient technology – and to building it together.

Happy Heat Pump for the Holidays. ❤️🎀

Elephant Energy is a Certified B Corp

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Extra, extra, read all about it – we’ve done something we think is pretty dang cool. We’re excited to announce that after three fantastic years in business, we’ve achieved Certified B Corporation status!

Read on below to learn more about what a B Corp is and what it means for a company like ours to make the commitment to the work of a Certified B Corporation.

What is a B Corp?

We’ve got the quickest B Corporation definition: put simply,  it affirms that a business has voluntarily met the highest standards for social and environmental performance.

Here’s the longer explanation: the “B” in B Corporation (or B Corp, as it more commonly goes by) stands for benefit. It’s not just a feel-good statement, it’s a pretty big deal. B Corps are certified by B Lab, a nonprofit organization founded in 2006. They created the organization in the hopes of transforming the global economy to benefit people, communities, and the planet. The B Corp certification means that a company voluntarily meets certain standards of transparency, accountability, sustainability, and performance, as defined by the organizing body. Beyond that, companies that have achieved a Certified B Corp status aim to create value for more than their shareholders; they are also accountable to other important stakeholders, like their employees, communities, customers, suppliers, and the environment.

B Corps are globally recognized (there are over 8,600 B Corps worldwide), and must recertify every three years to hold their status, meaning they’re continuing this work beyond their certification date. This is a powerful enforcing mechanism that ensures that B Corps maintain the high standards set by the certification.

We’ll be in good company among the other members, which include Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, and Allbirds. These companies are known for being straightforward and clear about their commitment to the work of bettering people, communities, and the planet – similar to companies that meet ESG investment standards.

Q&A: Why pursue a B Corp certification?

We’ve been working since day one to #ElectrifyEverything, and this certification is a testament to the dedication of our team and our mission to combat climate change, one heat pump installation at a time. As part of our B Corp certification, we’re required to uphold the values of sustainability alongside transparency, accountability, and performance in all of the work that we do. And it’s not just a one-and-done certification – we are required to uphold this to continue holding the title.

We interviewed our co-founder, DR Richardson, about his perspective on this exciting milestone:

Q: What does this certification mean to you and the broader work of Elephant Energy?

A: Earning the B Corp certification is a huge milestone for us. It’s a testament to our amazing team – and validation of our approach to using our strength for good. It also signifies that our commitment to sustainability and best-in-class business practices extends beyond our core product offering. 

Q: More tactically, how will the certification impact Elephant’s day-to-day work?

A: This certification verifies that Elephant Energy operates with social responsibility in mind, considering the impact of our business on our employees, communities, and the environment. This focus on a triple bottom line – profit, people, and planet – further positions Elephant Energy as a leader in the climate-tech and electrification industry. Said another way, how many home services businesses do you know are actually B Corps?  

Q: Why was earning this certification a priority for the Elephant Energy team?

A: Since our founding, we’ve been mission-driven to make as the biggest positive impact on the world that we can. While reducing carbon emissions is our “why”, how we conduct business and treat stakeholders is also hugely important — and the B Corp certification is a testament to the way that we approach that.

DR is right – we’re proud to share our B Corp Certification with the world as our public commitment to do good for people, communities, and the planet alongside doing well for our shareholders.

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Eager to make more climate-friendly choices? Check out our tool, Your Electrification Roadmap®. A few simple questions will get you a personalized plan for a sustainable home. Together, we can make choices that truly make a difference.

Treehouse & Elephant Energy: Powering Up Home Electrification

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A Mission to Make Homes Climate-Friendly

At Elephant, a key part of our mission is empowering homeowners to take personal climate action – knowing that the impact of that action spans so much further than the four walls of our own homes. That’s why we’re excited to announce our new partnership with Treehouse, aimed at accelerating home electrification across the country.

Why Treehouse? A Perfect Match 

Treehouse is an electrical contractor built for the 21st century. Our shared vision—to build the “easy button” for home electrification—is what brought us together. By combining our expertise in HVAC system design and management with Treehouse’s robust electrical capabilities, we’re uniquely positioned to offer homeowners a streamlined, efficient approach to upgrading their homes with heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.

Why does this matter? These systems are not only more sustainable, but also three times more energy-efficient than traditional HVAC units, leveraging electricity to transfer heat rather than generating new heat by burning fossil fuels. The result? Lower carbon emissions, reduced energy bills, and significantly improved indoor air quality.

Integrated Expertise for Seamless Installation

Treehouse is an integral part of our vetted contractor network, providing top-notch electrical expertise for the heat pump installation process. Their involvement ensures that each step of the installation is executed flawlessly, and reinforces our commitment to using technology to scale home electrification efforts.

Our partnership also leverages the Treehouse API, which offers instant, guaranteed pricing and real-time project updates through webhooks. For homeowners who work with us, this translates to maximum convenience, competitive pricing, and a faster, more streamlined installation experience. 

Building Together, Better Together

We’re already making strides together in Colorado, where our combined efforts are helping more homeowners transition to climate-friendly technologies. And together, we see the opportunity to continue to expand our impact by serving homeowners across communities nationwide. 

Our collaboration goes beyond just improving individual homes; it’s about jointly creating a streamlined approach to remove friction from the electrification experience. Both Elephant Energy and Treehouse contribute unique expertise that is vital in deploying real assets which are crucial for the clean energy transition. By combining our strengths, we are not only facilitating a smoother transition for homeowners but also accelerating the deployment of these critical technologies. Onwards!

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Eager to make more climate-friendly choices? Check out our tool, Your Electrification Roadmap®. A few simple questions will get you a personalized plan for a sustainable home. Together, we can make choices that truly make a difference.

Give people more info about federal energy-efficiency rebates, tax credits

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If we’re going to realize the climate benefits of historic federal support for clean energy and jobs approved in the last two years, connections are the key. And I’m not just talking about electrifying homes and buildings.

We need to connect people to the benefits spread throughout the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. We do that by connecting people to others in the communities where they live and with the individuals, local units of government and non-profits who can help them take advantage of a lengthy list of tax credits and rebates for everything from electric cars to more energy-efficient windows and doors.

The need is clear. Seven in 10 Americans say they know little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act by name. The same is true for specific parts of the package, like tax credits for home solar panels and heat pumps.

Bobby Foley of Elephant Energy, a climate tech start-up in Colorado, sees the information gaps and hears the questions up close. “We are on the ground, scoping out a heat pump with homeowners and installing it.”

Continue reading “Give people more info about federal energy-efficiency rebates, tax credits”

A Product is Born: Unveiling Your Electrification Roadmap®

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How it All Started

In 2021, our co-founder, DR, set out to electrify his home. While home electrification options – heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction stoves, etc. – had been around for decades, DR found it surprisingly difficult to go all-electric. Finding knowledgeable experts, understanding what to prioritize (and when), and determining what would have the biggest impact on climate and energy bills seemed impossible to understand, let alone solve. 

So, DR and his friend Josh did what any good startup veteran would do: they built a business that solved the problem they had themselves.

Their initial research clarified that there we a few specific things that get in the way of successful home electrification:

  • Selecting the right equipment – choosing the right equipment that you can trust to perform efficiently for many years to come
  • Sizing the system – ensuring your system is appropriately sized to keep your home cozy – even on the coldest day of the year
  • Installing everything – lining up multiple different trades is no small feat
  • Wrangling rebates – identifying, maximizing, and securing the myriad rebates and incentives (getting this right can make a meaningful difference in the project cost!)

And before tackling any of that, drawing up a plan so you know where to start and where you’re going.

Over the past 2 years, here at Elephant Energy, we’ve been building a company and platform that does all of these things for our customers – starting with designing the overall plan itself. 

The vision? Build the “easy button” for home electrification – so that we can accelerate this important work, giving every homeowner access to a climate-friendly home.

The Product

So, we are thrilled today to announce the launch of Your Electrification Roadmap!

Your Electrification Roadmap® is your personal guide to making your home climate-friendly. With this tool, you can create a free electrification plan tailored to your unique home and goals – no matter where you live. It’s simple:

  • Tell us about your home. We want to hear about your current systems, your electrification goals, and any concerns you have. 
  • We build Your Electrification Roadmap®. We draw from the latest thinking in building science and lays out the steps you need to take to fully electrify, in the best order for you. 
  • Explore and demystify the process. You can dive into the details of each step to learn more about the technology, approximate cost, and the resulting carbon reduction.
  • Get started! We make it easy to begin your electrification journey directly within the tool. Equipment installations are currently available in Colorado and Massachusetts, with additional markets opening in 2024.

This tool – which started out as a trial version last November – has grown and evolved substantially. But trust us, this is just the beginning.

Ready to get Your Electrification Roadmap®? Get started here.

On a mission make your home climate-friendly? Stay tuned for tips and updates by subscribing to our newsletter.

Why this work matters

Why is it so important to start with a plan before diving in? It boils down to a single concept: proactive replacement. What the heck does that even mean? Well, think of it this way–most people (resources permitting) would not drive their car to the point of complete failure–think, the transmission quite literally giving out on the highway. But with home appliances, this is the norm. It’s way too easy to ignore the “stuff” that’s tucked away in the corners and closets of your home – that is, until it’s not working at all.

Avoiding Emergency Situations

Picture it. It’s one of the coldest days in December, your in-laws are visiting, and…your gas furnace gives out. You’ve been thinking for months about how you want to upgrade to a heat pump. But now you’re in an impossible position: an electrician isn’t available to run new wiring for at least a month, your HVAC contractor isn’t quite sure what size heat pump you need, your in-laws are complaining about freezing in the house, and you don’t even know how much all of this is going to cost! So instead, you go with your HVAC technician’s tried and true recommendation – another gas furnace – just to make it all go away, fast. And just like that, another 20 years of fossil fuel emissions are locked in – by someone who originally intended to electrify.

The Holistic Approach to Electrification

The point is, the industry isn’t equipped to deal with emergency replacements yet. There’s too much interest and demand to accommodate last-minute work right now. And, understanding what equipment you need, if your upgrades require new electrical wiring or a service upgrade, and how to pay for all of this work takes time and thought. Especially if your goal is whole-home electrification, you need to think about your home holistically… so that all the pieces of the puzzle fit neatly together in the end.

Contributing to a Sustainable Solution

The built environment is responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions every year. Every year! As homeowners, we have a unique opportunity to be part of the solution. Reducing our personal emissions matters. And, it starts with a plan.

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