Clean energy group rallies contractors around heat pumps

Clean energy groups are joining forces to get contractors more invested in electrification efforts.

What’s happening: Panama Bartholomy founded the nonprofit Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) about eight years ago, with the ultimate aim of reducing pollution from buildings across the U.S. Active in 10 states, it brings together hundreds of organizations and thousands of individual members — including contractors, utilities, manufacturers, and government agencies — to work on policy, market development, and public engagement. 

• It will participate in the California Heat Pump Partnership’s inaugural Heat Pump Week from April 11-19, promoting the adoption of heat pumps across California, which aims to have six million units installed by 2030.
• “There’s going to be people handing out breakfast burritos to contractors in front of Home Depots next to heat pump water heaters,” Bartholomy told Homepros. “There’s going to be contractor training events all over the state just that week, branded around heat pumps.”

The big picture: Some contractors have been resistant to tout electric equipment over gas, frustrated by high upfront costs and complex installations, varying regulations, and rebate programs that are onerous to administer. 

Zoom in: The BDC has tried to ease such pain points, launching the ‘Colorado Contractor Hub’ to deliver leads to the state’s heat pump contractors, and pushing for smart contractor directories in additional states. 

• It’s also called on California — a state with more than 600 jurisdictions with varying permit types — to streamline and speed up its heat pump permitting process. 

What they’re saying: Bartholomy has called 2026 the “Year of the Contractor,” as heat pumps have outsold gas furnaces for four consecutive years and are poised to continue accelerating. 

• “What’s most encouraging to me is really the market stuff, not necessarily even the policy side, but the fact that you have market actors like the manufacturers, like installers, saying this transition is inevitable,” Bartholomy said. 

Yes, but: “This whole thing doesn’t work without contractors,” he cautioned, “and unless the contractors are ready to install a lot more heat pumps than furnaces and one-way air conditioners and gas water heaters, this transition doesn’t take place, and it stalls here.” 

• “You can make a lot of money if you’re on the front end of transitions, rather than on the back end,” he added. “You’re better prepared for your competitors on how to install them, how to answer questions, how to prevent callbacks from customers.” 

Go deeper: Bartholomy encourages contractors — even skeptics — to get involved in policymaking: “We need programs, policies that actually center contractors and really focus on their role in this transition, and empower them to be able to provide the technologies that we want.”