When Amelia Wesselink and Tim Maher purchased a 120-year-old, century style house in 2017 — a bit of a fixer-upper, Maher said — they had no idea that eight years later, they’d soon outfit it with energy-saving infrastructure that would both slash greenhouse gas emissions and save money on their energy bills.The couple’s 1,800-square-foot, three-bedroom home in Roslindale is similar to many on the block: a living room filled with toys for their two elementary-aged children; an office for Wesselink, a Boston University epidemiologist; and two cars in the driveway so she can pick the kids up from school while Maher is coaching soccer practice at the Hyde Park high school where he also teaches math.But when the oil tank started leaking last year, they saw an opportunity to make a change many Bostonians, and residents across Massachusetts, are still debating: They bought an air-source heat pump, a highly efficient system that uses outside air and refrigerant to warm or cool a home.That decision was the first of several the couple would make to pivot off fossil fuels and onto renewable energy, weighing affordability and comfort at every step.“There was something satisfying about shutting off the gas and getting rid of the oil,” Maher said. “But a lot of it’s just been a necessity: What’s broken or not working right now?”Tim Maher read the temperature of the hot water heater installed last year in the basement of his family’s Roslindale home. In the past year, Maher and his wife have switched their home from fossil fuels to renewable energy, including hot water, heating and cooling, and the stove.Matthew J. Lee/Globe StaffWhen Maher started exploring replacements for the leaky tank, he already had reservations about sticking with oil. “The pricing fluctuated a lot,” he said, noting that he’d routinely open the mailbox to find a $600 bill waiting for him. Maher had read about heat pumps online as a potential alternative, but every contractor he contacted told him it couldn’t be done.“They were like, ‘You can’t do that in Boston. It’s too cold,’” he recalled. “I was pretty skeptical of that.”Then the family got a message from startup Elephant Energy, whose cofounder went to high school with Wesselink. The Denver-based company, which specializes in transitioning homes off fossil fuels, was expanding to Massachusetts. The couple set up a Zoom meeting.“They were like, ‘Well, we’ve been doing this in Denver for years … and no one’s been frozen out of their house.’ So that was pretty convincing,” Maher said. The company provided reams of information on the science behind heat pumps, but like many homeowners, Maher only had two questions: “Will it keep the house warm? And what will it cost?”With the help of Elephant Energy staff, who guided him and his wife through both the financing and installation process,Maher replaced the oil tank with an air-source heat pump powered by electricity from the gri
Lun. Dic 23rd, 2024
