Insights from Innovative Programs on Barriers and Opportunities for Heat Pump Adoption

California has identified heat pumps as a keystone technology on its path to decarbonization. While rebate programs target the initial cost to install heat pumps, there are also non-cost barriers that need to be addressed to encourage widespread adoption. This research study uses the Energy Technology Adoptability framework to assess the challenges and opportunities posed by selected technology characteristics, namely observability, trialability, non-energy impacts, and installation complexity. Drawing on sources from academic and industry literature, public databases, media, and websites, brief case studies were developed on 39 programs to promote heat pump adoption across North America and Europe, highlighting the efforts to address and/or leverage technology characteristics. Strategies to address each technology characteristic were synthesized to illustrate a range of approaches to mitigating challenges associated with heat pump adoption. Details from the programs featured in the case studies were also compiled in a database to enable searches by specific attributes (e.g., geography, technology characteristic, technology type). The report and database can inform strategies and messaging developed by California programs to promote residential heat pump adoption.