As part of reducing emissions, we need to electrify everything in our homes, from space heating and cooling, driving, and cooking to drying our clothes. We have heard a lot about heat pumps for heating and cooling our homes. But not much about using them for drying our clothes (although a clothes line is best). That is because they are relatively new in this country. They are much more popular in Europe.
Heat pump clothes dryers offer a great solution for drying our clothes. Electric clothes dryers have been around for a while, but they use a lot of electricity. A dryer using heat pump technology is much more efficient than a traditional electrical dryer. If you look at an Energy Star list of the most efficient electric clothes dryers, all of the top ones are heat pump dryers. Besides saving electricity, these machines don’t require a vent.
For more information, check out the CEC website. It is a great resource.
goclean.masscec.com/resources/#heat-pump-clothes-dryer
Here is a spreadsheet with a list of the most efficient heat pump clothes dryers. All of which qualify for the Energy Star $50 rebate. See the CEC website for information on the rebate.
chelmsfordclimate.org/hp-clothes-dryers-deleted-cols/
They are expensive, but should qualify for the generous IRA incentives. See
rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator/information/heat-pump-clothes-dryer
As of Winter 2023, the big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot are not very much help. They don’t carry any heat pump clothes dryers on the floor and just don’t know much about them. It is much better to go to a local appliance store like RiverBend & Company at Cornerstone Plaza in Westford 978-392-8555. There you can see a floor model and talk to someone who knows what they are and the benefits they pose for mitigating climate change.