ACEEE gives ‘Champion of Energy Efficiency’ award to Jake Marin, Vermont heat pump pioneer
Winooski, VT
Award honors more than a decade of work deploying cold climate heat pumps in Vermont
WINOOSKI, VT—The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has given one of its 2024 “Champion of Energy Efficiency in Buildings” Awards to VEIC heat pump pioneer Jake Marin for his work at Efficiency Vermont.
The award, in the Implementation and Deployment category, highlights Marin’s years of work dedicated to bringing heat pump technology to Vermont as a viable, affordable, and emissions-free heating solution. The award also commends Marin’s efforts working alongside utility partners, contractors, suppliers, and other links in the supply chain to bring heat pumps optimized for Vermont’s cold climate to the state.
“Today, heat pumps help many in Vermont meet their home’s heating and cooling needs—but 10 years ago, they were rare in New England,” Marin said about his efforts. “It wasn’t until the early 2010s that we started to see systems that could meet the demands of our harsh winters. And it took support from policymakers, utility partners, manufacturers, contractors, and more to help Efficiency Vermont run a successful heat pump program across the state for the last ten years. I’m honored to receive this award and thrilled by the heat pump success we’ve had in Vermont.”
Jake Marin, center, accepts his ACEEE "Champion of Energy Efficiency in Buildings" award from Steven Nadel (ACEEE, left) and Scott Bernstein (Just Resilience, Price Institute). Photo by Randy Tunnell courtesy ACEEE.
Marin is among the recipients in five categories for the 2024 awards. Nominated by peers, the awards are given to efficiency leaders across government and the private sector for innovation and leadership around reducing energy waste and spurring sustainability. Marin’s efforts have helped Vermont install more than 63,000 heat pumps over the last decade—resulting in Vermont leading the northeast in heat pump adoption.
“The national recognition by ACEEE is a testament to Jake Marin’s vision and tireless efforts to transform the heat pump market across New England,” said Peter Walke, managing director of Efficiency Vermont. “Jake’s work over many years means more Vermonters can consider climate-friendly heat pumps to heat and cool their homes. And he’s helped build a foundation other states are building on for fossil fuel-free heating.”
In the early 2010s, Marin began working with global heat pump manufacturers like Mitsubishi, Daikin, and Fujitsu to adapt the technology—common in warmer climates in the US—for New England’s cold climate. He spent years as Efficiency Vermont’s heat pump program manager, working closely with manufacturers to ensure heat pumps could reliably keep homes warm in the frigid winters of northern New England. Those efforts led to a streamlined midstream “point of sale” rebate for heat pumps in Vermont that continues to support customers and contractors today. Marin also helped Vermont become the first state to launch an air-to-water heat pump program (since emulated in states like Massachusetts and New York), and he contributed to an EPA Emerging Technology Award that set national standards to certify air-to-water heat pumps with the ENERGY STAR label.
Now Marin is VEIC’s Lead Emerging Opportunities Manager, working on projects that use heat pump technology in new applications. He’s spearheading heat pump-equipped rooftop heating and cooling systems for commercial buildings. He’s also involved in a pilot project to test window-mounted heat pump systems—similar in form to window AC units—as heating solutions for Vermont’s renters and multifamily buildings. They’re the latest application of the ultra-efficient heat pump technology to heat buildings that would otherwise burn fossil fuels to stay warm.
The ACEEE award puts Marin in historic company. In 2002, Blair Hamilton—the co-founder of VEIC—was likewise honored as an “Energy Champion” for his work establishing Efficiency Vermont as the nation’s first statewide energy efficiency utility. VEIC has operated Efficiency Vermont ever since. Hamilton passed away in 2011, and ACEEE paid tribute to his efficiency career and remembered him as an “advocate, mentor, and friend.” His longtime partner and VEIC co-founder, Beth Sachs, served on VEIC’s Board of Directors until 2017 and remains involved in the organization to this day.
ACEEE, a nonprofit research organization that develops policies to reduce energy waste and combat climate change, will formally present the awards at its 23rd biennial Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings held August 4-9 in Pacific Grove, California.
Heat pumps are up to 300% more efficient at heating than fossil fuels. That’s because heat pumps use electricity to move heat, rather than burning fuel to make heat. This allows heat pumps to keep a home at a steady, comfortable temperature with just a fraction of the energy used when fuel is burned for heating. In most cases, heating with heat pumps instead of fossil fuels results in savings on heating bills, as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
About Efficiency Vermont
As the nation’s first Energy Efficiency Utility, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermont avoid over 13.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the last eight consecutive years. Efficiency Vermont works with partners to help our state transition to more affordable, low carbon energy use through education, incentives, and support for our clean energy workforce. Learn more at www.efficiencyvermont.com.
Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
[email protected]