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Comment by exabrial | Hacker News Reader

What actually happened [probably], in California:

A heatpump salesman has a buddy that is a government official. Has outdated models he needs to liquidate. Salesman guy needs to be richer. Government official can't take the money directly, but sure would like to fly on salesman guys' private jet when they go golfing. Meanwhile government official guy goes and buys a bunch of Salesman company stock and profits explode.

Heatpumps should absolutely be the primary choice in the correct climates. But these deals are rarely good or efficient for a taxpayer.

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I'm amazed by how difficult it is to get modern variable-speed heat pumps in California. You're lucky to get a two-speed unit, but they're only marginally better than single-speed. We're stuck with 80's technology because there's literally a list of what you're allowed to install. They claim it's to only allow energy efficient units, but the list is dominated by older inefficient models.

On top of that, you can't have just any contractor install it, they need to be certified to install heat pumps, and of course the ones who are certified will only install a heat pump they sell you.

If you want a modern energy efficient heat pump in California, without waiting forever and paying several times list price, you're going to have to install it illegally.

Are you in the same California that I am?

We have the same problem that the entire country has with mediocre, overpriced contractors. And we also have the same problem with ever-changing refrigerant rules. But heat pump availability seems just fine here, even for VRF systems. (Actually, VRF systems seem to be very common among new installations lately.)

you're about to be stuck with last-generation models that won't ever be updated, because the government has to renegotiate a contract with whomever and someone else will get upset and yada yada.

That you struggle to believe a government could ever operate modestly more efficiently, doesn't mean it never happens.

California is a shining example of where it does not happen.

Never, not a single time, in the entire history of California, has efficiency ever increased?

Nah, this is a program that someone in CA put together, it’s not a government program iirc. It’s just a dude coordinating a group buy (which is great! Solar United Neighbors does something similar for solar, and it seems very effective).

>Heatpumps should absolutely be the primary choice in the correct climates. But these deals are rarely good or efficient for a taxpayer.

I'm amazed at the cynicism here. [thing] is objectively good, but it's still bad because government is involved and therefore corruption should be assumed? Even if we assume the government is corrupt by default, surely corruption that uses better technology is better than continuing to use the old technology? Otherwise we'd be continuing to burn coal because we wouldn't want the corrupt gas/solar companies to make money.

The right thinks everyone in government is inherently evil, and the left thinks everyone in management or above is inherently evil.

Lots of evil out there, apparently.

All that shouldn’t be necessary without all the anti-consumer regulations which distort the market and inflate prices.

On the other hand you have all the “socialist” countries in Northern Europe which are much more consumer and business friendly (at least in areas like this).

California is trying to remove natural gas installations. Without natural gas, heat pumps are the obvious candidate to replace heating/cooling.

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