Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 21hNot yet. We are in a middle unit townhouse with a good south west exposure. Heating mode soon though I am sure. 010
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 05/10/2026You don't need to retrofit your envelope before you get off gas. I put a heat pump in my 1908 home to replace gas and it works great. cleantechnica.com/2026/10/04/s...cleantechnica.comIreland’s Heat Study Adds More Evidence Against The Fabric First Trap - CleanTechnicaIreland’s National Heat Study adds another independent line of evidence that deep retrofit should not automatically precede heat-pump installation. 090
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Wow. This would be an awesome program to have in Vancouver to make tricker treating safer! 120
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 20/09/2026That's cool, your day job deals with V2X? My work is split between Distribution Design and City Planning. Electrical servicing has been a focus lately.. 100
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/09/2026I have to learn how we do it in other areas of the city. Downtown there's a plaza and when the city redid it they put in 30 amp 240 volt outlets and the food truck owners put their own padlock on it and they pay a fixed price for the connection. It completely eliminated generators in that area. 111
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/09/2026At the farmers market. I see an opportunity for low cost power for vendors. All the stalls with generators were in one area and that area already has significant power available via overhead. It would be quite low cost to provide a kiosk that could be utilized for vendors. Less noise. Less exhaust. 152
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/09/2026I talked with one sensor company. Chemical makeup is important, esp with the friction heat. "Rubber" has so many additives and we don't know what they all do in the environment 010
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/09/2026We did a literature review as part of Vienna house. Steel systems produce more particulate, but rubber produces more chemically diverse particulate. But just looking at pm 2.5, steel produces more. I wanted to sensor Vienna house with outdoor air quality sensors, but $ diverted to PH. A worthy shift 120
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Umbrella? Shumbrella! Looking at those infrared cluster patio heaters. Could be electric or could be gas. I have seen quite a few electric in Toronto. Given Quebec has such cheap electricity (thank you Newfoundland) I bet there would be some electric set ups there too 100
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Is there a "Darkness is coming" brew that we can pick up to work to bring back the sunshine by say... Mid winter? 000
Reposted by Chris HigginsEmber @ember-energy.org · 16/09/2026For decades, China followed the fossil-heavy development taken by other industrialised economies. But since the 2010s, China’s economy has been increasingly lockstep with electricity consumption – while fossil-fuel use flattens. ember-energy.org/lat... 14314
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Here comes offensively cheap solar! arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026...arstechnica.com"Offensively cheap": Solar power is looking upChinese-made panels on rooftops across the world are changing the facts of life for big utilities. 040
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 13/09/2026In eight of 11 industrial sectors in China— including textiles, food, pharmaceuticals, and machinery — fossil fuel use has already peaked. www.yahoo.com/news/science...yahoo.comChinese Industry Is Starting to Wean Off Fossil FuelsBy several measures, Chinese industry is becoming less dependent on fossil fuels, according to a new analysis. 021
Reposted by Chris HigginsBromptonymous 🇨🇦 @bromptonymous.ca · 09/09/2026Victoria’s bike share is already exceeding Vancouver’s per capita in … checks notes … its first month. Protected bike lanes and reasonably dense development are the secret sauce to an effective bike transport system. 48018
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 09/09/2026It was quite sad to see. The board should have been a check but they were not cooperative people. They gave the members (the owners) no chance to salvage things. The board failed in their duty. 010
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 09/09/2026I worked at MEC office 7yrs. CEO David Labistour led a failed strategy of rebrand (remove the mountain), go wide with merch (think yoga & front country) & open many smaller stores. All failures and ate into the member capital and retained earnings. Board failed, selling out from under the members. 121
Reposted by Chris HigginsBlake Shaffer 🇨🇦 @blakeshaffer.bsky.social · 22/08/2026static.klipy.comBugs Bunny in Canada at Tim HortonsALT: Bugs Bunny in Canada at Tim Hortons 116738
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 20/08/2026Looking at a heat pump hot water system for 123 homes using the Waterdrop Sanden co2 system. The efficiency of hot water delivery is incredible. COP of upto 5! 040
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 20/08/2026I am looking for publications that might be interested in a piece talking about (a project where we developed) a language to map how Vancouver is changing as we adopt greater electrification and green infrastructure. Any suggestion of publications welcome. 000
Reposted by Chris HigginsRebecca Bollwitt @miss604.com · 19/08/2026Leading up to the civic election this fall, @museumofvan.bsky.social will hosts Austerity Tours to highlight the problems, risks and missed opportunities museums typically hide from view. The aim is to make voters understand the risks austerity pose to irreplaceable cultural heritage.miss604.comAusterity Tours Offered by Museum of VancouverMuseum of Vancouver will hosts Austerity Tours to highlight the problems, risks and missed opportunities museums typically hide from view. 13515
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 20/08/2026static.klipy.comRight to Jail MemeALT: Right to Jail Meme 020
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026Cool that they custom cut it to your length. That is an improvement over the other systems I have seen. 010
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026The issue I see with the refrigerant line sets on DIY is not kinks but loops. The lines come in a one size fits all and the homeowner loops the extra. Lubricant travels via the refrigerant line sets but the loops stop it. The loops lead to premature equipment failure. 120
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026A range of opinions exist. I enjoy the dialogue between the parties. 000
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026They are popular in Scandinavian countries. I agree. 000
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026People have a range of views. The skill is on creating a policy that has close to universal support.. 000
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026Vancouver is trying some midea installs. The fact that they are cold climate plug and play is great. 010
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026The window units are great as they are mono block, so no lines to install badly. Would love to see some installations enabling a switch off gas locally! 000
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026I have some caution around DIY heat pumps. In Vancouver I have yet to see one installed well. Usually the refrigerant lines are done poorly. 100
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026Someone I recently met at work sent it to me. People are thankfully listening to you! 010
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026What I would put forward is ridership was low when YVR had a 2 bus system. When the train was built, it really changed the game. Travel is up but parking and taxi demand are down. 100
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026Who is the smartest person in the heat pump world when it comes to growing the market? @energysmartwv.bsky.social is at or near the top. I have stolen many a great idea from him. Listen to him in "A simple fix that could unlock the heat pump market" www.latitudemedia.com/news/open-ci...latitudemedia.comA simple fix that could unlock the heat pump marketIs the key to home decarbonization cheaper and simpler than we thought? 3121
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 18/08/2026How do you figure that? In Vancouver having visitors arriving, catching the train downtown to their conference while not creating traffic has been very positive for the city. 101
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Connecting to the airport via the train was not planned? Wild. How could that not be a priority? 220
Reposted by Chris HigginsSeth Klein @sethdklein.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Excellent piece by @andreawoo.bsky.social on the many costs of wildfire, particular to our health: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...theglobeandmail.comThe metrics that reveal the human cost of a wildfire seasonCalculations should include health effects and socioeconomic costs, researchers say 24018
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Ottawa Transit feels so poorly run compared to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. You can feel the airport run was an afterthought. 120
Reposted by Chris HigginsBIV News @bivnews.bsky.social · 18/08/2026dlvr.itOneCity wants to make it 'easier, faster, cheaper' to start a business in VancouverMayoral candidate William Azaroff: 'There are so many Vancouverites with dreams, drive and ambition. They just don't have the seed capital to get started, and we're going to close that gap.' 0134
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 17/08/2026It will be interesting to see if it goes ahead or if we get closer to the current Quebec weighted deal expiring. With the explosion in hype of data centers, I wonder if Newfoundland could use the electricity directly if they could get data center interest. 010
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 17/08/2026In Vancouver if the bins (garbage, recycling, compost) are not placed in the right area (to close to utility pole, bike lane, or other bins) then the City puts a sticker on it that advises next time this happens it won't be picked up. When it happens again, it does not get picked up. Seems to work 110
Chris Higgins @cahiggins.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Nice to see this deflector on a new Mitsubishi condenser in a tight retrofit of a townhouse. My first time seeing a deflector on a residential installation. Design and installation by Combined Comfort System on an existing 100A service with a peak load of 39.5A (using hourly data from smart meter). 140
Reposted by Chris HigginsGravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 13/08/2026I'm not the first person to say this, but the bike industry in the U.S. is really missing a huge opportunity by not aggressively defending and promoting e-bikes. I think this is largely the result of it being an industry built on recreational cycling and not transit riding. 131650213