For several years now, heat pumps have outsold gas furnaces in the United States. Instead of burning fossil fuels to generate warmth, these appliances use electricity — ideally provided by renewable sources like wind and solar — to transfer heat from even frigid outdoor air into a home. Many states have recognized the power of these highly efficient devices for both reducing emissions and keeping people from burning toxic natural gas in their homes: In 2023, Maine hit its goal of installing 100,000 of them two years ahead of schedule, then went ahead and pledged to install 175,000 more by 2027.
Now, attention is turning toward industries that burn fossil fuels in boilers to process food, textiles, and a bevy of other goods. In addition to producing almost a quarter of the nation’s directly emitted greenhouse gases, the manufacturing sector loads the atmosphere with toxicants, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and PM 2.5 — particulate matter smaller than 2.5 millionths of a meter — which all cause extensive and severe health problems across the country.
Source:
https://grist.org/energy/installing-heat-pumps-in-factories-could-save-1-5-trillion-and-77000-lives/
