Free air conditioners aren't a sustainable way to keep vulnerable residents cool, climate consultants say

Two climate consultants have mixed reactions tothe B.C. government's announcement that it will provide $10 million to B.C. Hydro to fund 8,000 free air conditioners for vulnerable populations.

The province's decision is in response to the 2021 heat dome that killed more than 600 people, most of whom did not have air conditioning, according to a B.C. Coroners Servicedeath review panel.

"I say this is the good, the bad and the not so ugly announcement," said Alex Boston, who was part of that panel and consults local and provincial governments on climate action.

The review panel did recommend the province provide air conditioners or heat pumps to help save lives during future extreme heat events, but Boston said there are also cost-effective, sustainable solutions that the government should adopt.

"Air conditioners are high cost to buy, to operate, and they increase power demand," Boston said in an interview Tuesday afternoon, warning that overdependence on air conditioners during extreme heat events could lead to blackouts.

Boston said alternative solutions include providing incentives for external shades that people can put on southern and western exposures of houses and buildings.

He said the provincial government should also have targets to increase the number of urban trees or tree canopy to provide a cooling effect for neighbourhoods and lessen the impact of urban heat islands that are created when communities have few trees.

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Speaking at a news conference where he announced B.C.'s investment in providing free air conditioners to help vulnerable populations deal with extreme heat events, Health Minister Adrian Dix said extreme weather is the reality now for British Columbians thanks to the effects of climate change.

Heat pumps 'the way to go,' climate consultant says

Boston and Heather McDiarmid, an Ontario-based climate consultant who researches the financial and climate impacts of switching to heat pumps, say B.C. should be doing more to get heat pumpsintopeople's homes.Heat pumps are more energy efficient and cheaper on utilities than traditional air conditioning units.

"It's a great opportunity for the government to provide heat pumps instead of air conditioners,"McDiarmidsaid.

There are about200,000 heat pumps installed in B.C. Hydro residential customer homes about 10 per cent of homes, according to the company.

Heat pumps use electricity to pull heat from the air, allowing them to keep homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The devices, which also filter air, use much less energy than gas furnaces, electric baseboard heating or portable air conditioners.

But they can cost up to $14,000, depending on the size and age of the home, not including the costs of installation and electricity. Owners of single-family detached homes are eligible for up to $11,000 in provincial, municipal and federal rebates if they install one.

McDiarmid said it's understandable that the province wants to help as many people as possible by providing less expensive cooling devices but said it's not the best solution from a climate perspective.

"A heat pump is absolutely the way to go," she told CBC News.

A heat pump not only provides efficientcooling in the summer but also heating in the winter, unlike an air conditioner that only cools a home, McDiarmid said.

"If you go with a heat pump instead of an air conditioner, in the wintertime, you are potentially saving quite a lot in terms of emissions because the electricity used to run the heat pump has a much lower carbon footprint than burning gas to generate heat," she said.

The Ministry of Health did not respond by deadline to CBC's requestfor comment.