So I’m at the ASHRAE conference and the sessions reporting on cold climate heat pump performance research that have been running over the last 4 years are cancelled. US federal employees, including a set of brilliant researchers working in energy efficiency, have been told they can’t participate. - ThreadSky

matthewfroese.bsky.social • 21 days ago

So I’m at the ASHRAE conference and the sessions reporting on cold climate heat pump performance research that have been running over the last 4 years are cancelled. US federal employees, including a set of brilliant researchers working in energy efficiency, have been told they can’t participate.

Comments

don-g-mb.bsky.social•21 days ago

At least not replaced with "US effective heating with coal" as a substitute session.

charleyinma.bsky.social•20 days ago

What!? 😡

matthewfroese.bsky.social•20 days ago

Oh yeah - it’s a big event with presenters from around the world, including Canada, Singapore, Japan, and India at the sessions I was at just yesterday, but no US government staff this time around.

charleyinma.bsky.social•20 days ago

OTOH I heard from an attendee, who says a fed worker at the conf was “told not to vote in committee meetings” despite being “a member” — and a colleague from EPA was “able to attend remotely”

& wrote: “There’s no damper on discussion of climate change or diversity/inclusion priorities” at ASHRAE

matthewfroese.bsky.social•20 days ago

Yes, there are some fed staff here but abstaining from formal committee roles and presentations.

No impact on the ASHRAE values statements on inclusion, etc., those haven’t changed at all

charleyinma.bsky.social•20 days ago

Utterly shameful. Moral injuries on all levels are mounting — Not OK!

camregier.bsky.social•21 days ago

Uuuuuuugh.

alicamp.bsky.social•21 days ago

Wow, it’s a shocking time to be alive.

I’m thinking about my master’s research and it wouldn’t be permitted in the US right now either.

matthewfroese.bsky.social•21 days ago

The money is spent, the research is done, but they aren’t allowed to come talk about it.

Hopefully folks come to their senses here… there’s a lot of great work that’s been done that’s worth sharing, and a lot to be gained by moving the industry forward.

energysmartwv.bsky.social•21 days ago

I’ve been warning about heat pump politicization for years. Sigh.

matthewfroese.bsky.social•21 days ago

Technology shouldn’t belong to one political party or perspective! We’re all better off with better options to choose from.

Big issue with EVs too, imo

energysmartwv.bsky.social•21 days ago

Rewiring America was a big part of the politicization.

I am reducing my usage of the phrase heat pump because of it.

I removed my first client gas meter in 2014.

We’ve really screwed ourselves.

energysmartwv.bsky.social•21 days ago

We need to knock off using early adopter language.

And all ACs need to become heat pumps.

That ship has sailed for a while though.

I expect to die now before we make significant progress towards home decarb. Sucks. 2050 was possible in 2022 with the IRA.

Idiocy is the main reason for this.