Member Spotlight - Coastal Heat Pumps

B2E is kicking off a new interview series where our Communications Coordinator, Anna, sits down and chats with a member who is active in pursuing electrification on the front lines.

First up in our B2E member interview series is Don Gulevich, President and Founder of Coastal Heat Pumps, a HVAC contractor based in Sidney, BC. Coastal Heat Pumps is a local, family-owned and operated business, with 26 employees to date specializing in providing residential heat pump installation, maintenance, and repair. 

From installing nearly 300 heat pumps with the remote Heiltsuk Nation in Bella Bella, to promoting industry voices, see what Don has to say about all things electrification below…

Hi Don! Thanks for agreeing to be the first interviewee in our new member series. First up, can you tell us why you became a B2E member?  
 
One of the biggest reasons for becoming a member was that I wanted to be a voice in the industry with other like-minded voices. When it comes to making industry decisions and new movements, I’d like the policymakers and procedure changers to hear from us about what we actually experience in the field. 

What impact has the B2E community had on you/your organization?  

Joining the B2E community has been very enlightening. It’s not just looking at words and reading about industry policy, it’s actually seeing things happening in the industry, movements, and updates about the future.
 
Tell us about an exciting building electrification project that you’re working on

For the last three years, Coastal Heat Pumps have been working with the Heiltsuk Nation in the remote island village of Bella Bella on Campbell Island, north of Port Hardy, on Vancouver Island. In response to a devastating oil spill in 2016 that destroyed the majority of the community’s clam bed and fish stocks, the Heiltsuk Nation began committing to an extremely aggressive climate action plan. Their goals include eliminating the dependency on fossil fuels, decreasing their communities' carbon footprint, using electricity more efficiently, and transforming the lives of their community members. 

Pamela Wilson, a member of Heiltsuk Nation and principal at Tagila Consulting, took on primary management of the project, with the support of a working group. Pamela works tirelessly for her community and gave the Coastal Heat Pumps team a presentation on the history of the Heiltsuk Nation, the lasting impact of residential schools as well as their climate action plans. 

Coastal Heat Pumps have worked with the Heiltsuk Nation to help achieve this plan. For the team, it wasn’t about going in and just installing another heat pump. This is a collaborative effort, whereby the Heiltsuk Nation community members are instrumental in the entire process of installation and maintenance with final commissioning completed by Coastal Heat Pumps. Designated members of the community are trained in the maintenance of the heat pumps to ensure that minor issues can be addressed quickly. This is a critical step for such a remote community because access to Bella Bella is a 5-hour journey by air or sea. With just under 300 heat pumps installed in the community, upskilling community members allows them to be self-sufficient as well as take ownership of the project. The Coastal Heat Pump team is available to mentor and support them over Zoom if there are any further questions or issues.

The heat pumps installed are some of the best available on the market and with regular maintenance, these will last 20-25 years. This is life-changing for many residential homes. Not only are they reducing their carbon footprint but they are also saving a significant amount of money by removing oil furnaces. One of the recipients of the heat pumps - a Heiltsuk Nation community member who is in her mid-80s - was facing a cold and damp winter. She explained that before having her heat pump installed last year, a 110-volt plug-in wall heater and an open oven door warmed her house. Last winter was the first time that this community member had a proper heating system installed in her home in over 20 years. 

Seeing my team’s reaction to the project has been incredible, and it is a practical step that we can offer toward reconciliation efforts. When our team goes to the island for installations they spend every waking hour working. However, despite the long journey and work hours, when a trip needs to be made to Bella Bella we have no shortage of offers from staff. We know that our team is left feeling totally empowered because the work is impactful and worthwhile and we get to see firsthand how we are helping this community.  

Heiltsuk Nation community members with some of the Coastal Heat Pumps team

What do you see as a key driver in advancing electrification in your industry? 

The fact that everybody will have to change their source of heat - eventually fossil fuels will be phased out. This isn’t new technology, obviously, it has advanced but it has been around for years and it’s proven to work. Legislation will also be a driver, people become more aware of what's happening, particularly if there’s an abundance of government rebates and grants. Global warming will also be a major driver as people are more aware of comfort. Current heat pump hesitancy exists for a variety of factors. I find it funny that people will tolerate cold and dampness within their homes, higher bills, and old noisy equipment to resist spending money on upgrades.. Yet, the minute it hits 25 degrees and houses start to heat up, people won’t hesitate to spend money to install air conditioning. Communicating the cooling benefits of heat pumps will help to advance electrification. 

Do you have any advice for others (individuals or organizations) who want to follow your path? 

Be involved, find out where the industry is headed, be well-rounded, and voice your opinion to policymakers. By actively using your voice in government stakeholder consultation you will help shape the industry and ensure that rebates and programs offered are relevant to industry needs.

To hear more about the Heiltsuk Nation project, listen to Don speak on the ‘Behind the Tools’ podcast here. 
For more information and to connect with the team, Coastal Heat Pumps are on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.