Sealing leaky homes a good climate solution

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR MIDEA - David Rames, Senior Product Manager, Midea, discusses the leading performance of the Midea Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge unit with Dr. Wenqing Zhang, Ai-Midea, at the grand opening of Midea's national showroom and distribution center in Queens, NY, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. The new heat pump is known as a standout participant in the Department of Energy (DOE) Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge, achieving 118% of rated capacity heating output at -15 degrees Fahrenheit in laboratory testing. (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Midea)

New York: There’s a hidden scourge making homes more harmful to the climate and less comfortable: leaky heating and cooling systems.

Plugging those leaks may be the dull stepchild of the energy transition, but that doesn’t make it any less important than installing dazzling solar arrays and getting millions of electric vehicles on the road.