Kurt Jovais, president of Midea America Corp., and Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, inspect a Midea product display at Woodside Houses, a public housing community in New York City. Midea America Corp. is developing new new heat pump technology to decarbonize New York City Housing Authority buildings.

Associated Press

New York City is making a big push to change the way it heats its public housing units.

State and local leaders have pledged an initial $70 million investment in the development and production of 30,000 new heat pump units for use in the city’s public housing buildings, a move that transitions the homes away from using fossil fuels.

It also positions the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to be an early adopter in the new technology while giving residents a modern system of heating and cooling that they can directly control.

Heat pump technology provides cooling and heating from a single unit by moving heat between the indoor and outdoor spaces depending on the season. The process is achieved through the refrigeration cycle, which can be up to four times more efficient than traditional heating systems, such as boilers, which rely on on-site combustion of fossil fuels to produce heat, explained officials.

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