Heat Smart Monroe

Groundhog Day 2022 marked the one-year anniversary of HeatSmart Monroe, .a clean heating and cooling campaign that promotes weatherization projects as well as efficient air-source and ground-source electric HVAC systems. We decided to bring Doug Burroughs, our spokes-rodent, to life! In this animation, created by Tamayo Animation, you’ll get a first hand look at Doug’s family life and how he stays warm even in the face of a blizzard in Cobbs Hill Park. Six more weeks of winter is no issue if you utilize the efficiency and power of heat pump technology!

Learn more about campaign to see how you can keep your home and family cozy throughout the winter and summer. Get started by enrolling for a free home assessment at

This campaign educates, encourages, and incentivizes home and building owners to transition from gas and oil heating systems to cleaner, greener high-efficiency electric heat pump systems. With heat pump technology, we can dramatically lessen our collective carbon load and make our homes and buildings safer and more comfortable.

What are Heat Pumps? There are three main types:

1. Air-source heat pumps

2. Ground-source heat pumps

3. Heat pump hot water heaters

Unlike traditional heat-generating HVAC systems, heat pumps extract heat from the ground or air outside and distribute it inside your home or business. During warmer months, the process is reversed to provide cooling by pulling heat out of your interior space. These systems are highly efficient and can provide up to 100 percent of your heating and cooling needs.

Why get a Heat Pump?

Heat pumps run on electricity, which can be sourced from renewables such as wind, solar, and hydropower. They are super-efficient, and therefore inexpensive to use, and they don’t pollute the air either inside or outside of your home. In other words, they are healthy for humans and climate-friendly. In addition, air-source and ground-source systems provide heating and cooling, and in some cases hot water as well!

There are currently a range of financial incentives available to help ease the transition to heat pumps. The HeatSmart Monroe and Sustainable Homes Rochester teams can answer your questions and connect you to relevant resources. 

*Learn more about geothermal installation in this Democrat & Chronicle article featuring the home of Climate Solutions Accelerator staff member Evan Lowenstein

Check out the videos and fact sheets right here!

*Please note that incentives may have changed since the publishing of these videos.

Download Fact Sheets

Air-Source Heat Pumps Heat Pump Water Heaters Ground Source Heat Pumps

Connected Communities
Resident Ambassador Program

The Accelerator’s HeatSmart Monroe Campaign is teaming up with Connected Communities to do targeted HeatSmart outreach in the City of Rochester’s Beechwood and EMMA neighborhoods. In tandem with Connected Community's Resident Ambassadors, the HeatSmart team is going door-to-door in the two neighborhoods to let tenants know about NYSERDA's home energy efficiency grants.

The goal of this partnership: to help households in this area reduce their energy usage—and energy bills—by making weatherization improvements using state grants. These improvements help to revitalize housing stock, make heating and cooling more affordable, keep our neighbors safe in the face of extreme weather events brought on by climate change, and reduce climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.

Heat Smart Monroe advisors assist tenants and landlords with grant applications and with contractors; and advocate for homeowners and tenants. HeatSmart Monroe and the Resident Ambassadors also make referrals to other programs and resources when they learn about other housing issues in their door-to-door conversations.