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Shreyas Sudhakar

@shreyassudhakar.com

2.4K followers 1.6K following 1.5K posts

Writing about heat pumps at heatpumped.org Installing heat pumps at vayu.pro Former YC founder and rocket propulsion engineer heatpumped.org/subscribe

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · Feb 25

I’m thrilled to announce @vayu.pro, my new heat pump installation company! 🧵

The Vayu team installing a heat pump system in the San Francisco Bay Area, replacing the home's existing gas wall furnace.

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Reposted by Shreyas Sudhakar

Mokurai @mokurai.bsky.social · 11h

Nobody needs methane at home. Get much cheaper and safer heat pumps and induction cooktops.

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 13h

The suburban natural gas supplier says a massive hike is needed for critical infrastructure work.
trib.al/m9Lo5Cg

Nicor's record-breaking $314M rate hike request should be cut by a third, ICC staff says

The suburban natural gas supplier says a massive hike is needed for critical infrastructure work.

trib.al

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 11h

We see the same dynamics in the HVAC industry, and I fear that it's yet another factor hampering heat pump adoption.

If you're curious, you should definitely check out my recent conversation with @brendanballou.bsky.social on the topic: buff.ly/RJdJJSA

Plunder: how Private Equity is reshaping HVAC

Uncover how private equity is transforming HVAC businesses, driving consolidation and changing industry dynamics in our revealing podcast interview with author Brendan Ballou.

www.heatpumped.org

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 11h

Wild. This full page ad was in today's @wsj.com

My reaction was to google "Lululemon Private Equity" & I was not wrong!

We keep seeing stories of PE gobbling up thriving companies and leaving behind husks.

"The world doesn't need another bland, quarterly-driven apparel company"

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Reposted by Shreyas Sudhakar

Evan George @evanlgeorge.bsky.social · 14h

Huge loss for LA Times readers, who have benefited from one of the only *opinion* columnists in the climate space. It's allowed for passionate reporting. The paper retains great talent on the Climate & Environment desk, but Sammy's voice will be one to follow in whatever new adventure.

Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 15h

Well, folks, personal news: After 7 years, today is my last day with @latimes.com.

It's been a privilege working with some of the world's best journalists at my hometown paper. Thank you to everyone who's read and supported my work.

I'm not done telling climate stories. More news to come.

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 13h

You always had very thoughtful and pragmatic takes on the most important climate stories! Best of luck in your next journey and excited to see where it takes you!

Reposted by Shreyas Sudhakar

Matt Vespa @missionvespa.bsky.social · 13h

Next up, let's sign #AB1167 to protect Californians from footing the bill for monopoly utilities' lobbying engines!

✅ builds guardrails and defines activities utilities must pay for
✅ increases transparency to spot abuses of customer funds
✅ establishes consequences for utilities that break the law

Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 1d

I just signed legislation to further protect consumers and put money back in your pocket, including:

✅ Making it easier to get food delivery app refunds
✅ Banning car retailers from tacking on add-on services
✅ Strengthening our Financial Protection Department after Trump's gutting of the CFPB

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 15h

Would you rather take a gentle warm shower, or dump a bucket of hot water on your head? Reason 91234012 to get a heat pump! www.youtube.com/shorts/ZrNNr...

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 18h

I’ve met quite a few people that went through Climate Drift (www.climatedrift.com) and successfully recentered their careers around climate/energy/solar/heat pumps/etc.

Might be worth a look!

Climate Drift

www.climatedrift.com

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

Oh 100%. It’s unrealistic to think that every house is going to be fully Islanded. And grid participation from those with DERs is going to important too, for the reasons you said. But regardless they are still a very powerful toolkit that is (relatively) accessible for a normal homeowner to use.

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

We can rewrite the tech tree.

Solar. Batteries. Heat pumps. EVs.

That’s the new path to abundance and independence. ☀️⚡️

(12/12)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

We already have the tools. The path to energy independence is simple: build, build, build.

When enough homes generate power, no one will ever think to build another gas plant again.

(11/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

And this is Lithuania — a country that gets less sunshine than Seattle. ☁️

(10/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

Lithuania proves it doesn’t.

They unplugged from the Russian grid, built solar + storage at massive scale, and joined the EU grid on their terms.

They even produced so much clean energy, other countries wanted in.

(9/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

We tell ourselves, “That’s just how history unfolded.”
But does it have to stay that way?

(8/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

Yet utilities are still incentivized to build more centralized infrastructure — more wires, more gas peakers, more dependence.

(7/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

Here’s the thing — solar has matured now. Pair it with batteries, heat pumps, and EVs, and homes can power themselves. Clean. Resilient. Local.

(6/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

It’s like the “Tech Tree” in the game Civilization.

Research order matters. Unlock solar before fossil fuels and you get a totally different planet.

(5/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

But what if photovoltaics (solar panels) had matured first?

Instead of megaplants, we’d have millions of rooftop generators. Each home producing and storing its own electricity.

A civilization that started decentralized instead of centralized.

(4/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

Today’s reality: giant power plants → high-voltage lines → substations → your wall outlet. A massive, centralized machine just to make toast.

(3/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

I asked that question to Don Norman, the acclaimed designer and author of "The Design of Everyday Things" at the Agile Electrification Summit last week - and it changed how I think about energy systems.

(2/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 1d

🔌💡 What if our energy tech tree evolved in a different order?

Imagine if solar panels came before coal plants. If batteries came before transmission lines. If every home made its own power instead of pulling it from a grid.

(1/x)

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 2d

This is what thought you meant by “heat pump crawl” at first

Me in the crawlspace of a house during a heat pump installation

Reposted by Shreyas Sudhakar

Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 3d

Most ACs have an equivalent heat pump, even the low end models. Ex: this is the lowest end AC from carrier and the equivalent heat pump. The difference is basically one part inside them, and then instead of only being able to cool it will also heat. Don’t buy a car that doesn’t have reverse gear!

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Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 3d

And in many cases, you can make up for it with savings in the summer due to increased efficiency vs a typical single stage AC

Shreyas Sudhakar @shreyassudhakar.com · 3d

Yeah, SDG&E has some of the worst rates. I recently wrote an op ed about these challenges in the SF Chronicle www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...

in most cases even with really high rates you don’t see much of an overall increase in cost as high efficiency counteracts expensive electricity

How California energy policy is holding back a game changing climate technology

OPINION: Without major changes to the way Californians pay for energy, we’ll lose the precious opportunities new electric technologies provide.

www.sfchronicle.com

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