Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
@christaggart.bsky.social
Heatpump Papa. Software Engineer. Climate. Cargo Bike Dad.
Building software to accelerate residential electrification.
@electrify613.bsky.social
@ferncomfort.bsky.social
https://electrific.co https://ferncomfort.ca https://electrify613.ca, YOW
Building software to accelerate residential electrification.
@electrify613.bsky.social
@ferncomfort.bsky.social
https://electrific.co https://ferncomfort.ca https://electrify613.ca, YOW
We’re looking to do a Hintonburg Heatpumps & Hot Choclate Heatpump Crawl (Jan 18th) and would love to add another heatpump to the tour.
Does anyone that follows me + live in that ‘hood have a heatpump and want to host some folks on their front porch to talk heatpumps?
/cc @jleiper.bsky.social
Does anyone that follows me + live in that ‘hood have a heatpump and want to host some folks on their front porch to talk heatpumps?
/cc @jleiper.bsky.social
January 6, 2026 at 5:12 PM
We’re looking to do a Hintonburg Heatpumps & Hot Choclate Heatpump Crawl (Jan 18th) and would love to add another heatpump to the tour.
Does anyone that follows me + live in that ‘hood have a heatpump and want to host some folks on their front porch to talk heatpumps?
/cc @jleiper.bsky.social
Does anyone that follows me + live in that ‘hood have a heatpump and want to host some folks on their front porch to talk heatpumps?
/cc @jleiper.bsky.social
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
We have to tools we need to steer the world in a better direction. This is an excellent example of how thoughtful public policy based on careful study and data analytics can improve our lives, and we should be doing so much more of it.
Congestion pricing after one year: How life has changed. (Gift Article)
How life has changed in the New York area, according to data on traffic, transit and the responses of 600 readers.
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:25 PM
We have to tools we need to steer the world in a better direction. This is an excellent example of how thoughtful public policy based on careful study and data analytics can improve our lives, and we should be doing so much more of it.
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
See also… bsky.app/profile/hoxt...
It’s obvious really but road casualties are first & foremost related to *exposure* to traffic not whatever final cause (speed/impairment etc) we attribute them to. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Traffic accidents and the London congestion charge
In a rare effort to internalize congestion costs, London recently instituted charges for traveling by car to the central city during peak hours. Altho…
www.sciencedirect.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:00 PM
See also… bsky.app/profile/hoxt...
The single biggest thing you can do in 2026 to reduce the amount of carbon you produce is to swap your gas furnace for a heatpump.
@electrify613.bsky.social can help you make the switch. Make a plan so you’re ready when your furnace kicks the bucket (or before then).
@electrify613.bsky.social can help you make the switch. Make a plan so you’re ready when your furnace kicks the bucket (or before then).
January 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM
The single biggest thing you can do in 2026 to reduce the amount of carbon you produce is to swap your gas furnace for a heatpump.
@electrify613.bsky.social can help you make the switch. Make a plan so you’re ready when your furnace kicks the bucket (or before then).
@electrify613.bsky.social can help you make the switch. Make a plan so you’re ready when your furnace kicks the bucket (or before then).
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
The scary thing is that this pipe is only from 1959 and failed prematurely, a growing trend. There are still pipes downtown from the 1870s to be replaced. We currently replace about 20km of pipe each year, but we laid down 1800km of pipe in the 50s and 60s. 5X our current replacement rate.
January 2, 2026 at 2:16 AM
The scary thing is that this pipe is only from 1959 and failed prematurely, a growing trend. There are still pipes downtown from the 1870s to be replaced. We currently replace about 20km of pipe each year, but we laid down 1800km of pipe in the 50s and 60s. 5X our current replacement rate.
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
Want to reduce your transportation emissions?
Skip the EV and go with an e-bike.
“Electric micromobility…[is] actually displacing four times as much demand for oil as all the world’s electric cars at present.”
Bonus: e-bikes are also fun AND healthy 🤯
arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11...
Skip the EV and go with an e-bike.
“Electric micromobility…[is] actually displacing four times as much demand for oil as all the world’s electric cars at present.”
Bonus: e-bikes are also fun AND healthy 🤯
arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11...
280 million e-bikes are slashing oil demand far more than electric vehicles
E-bikes and scooters displace 4x as much demand for oil as all of the EVs in the world.
arstechnica.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Want to reduce your transportation emissions?
Skip the EV and go with an e-bike.
“Electric micromobility…[is] actually displacing four times as much demand for oil as all the world’s electric cars at present.”
Bonus: e-bikes are also fun AND healthy 🤯
arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11...
Skip the EV and go with an e-bike.
“Electric micromobility…[is] actually displacing four times as much demand for oil as all the world’s electric cars at present.”
Bonus: e-bikes are also fun AND healthy 🤯
arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11...
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
"For Canada to thrive we must decide whether we are a #PetroState of the past or an #ElectroState of the future. Only one has a prosperous place in the #ClimateEra & a majority of Canadians already want stronger #ClimateAction. What's missing is a government willing to act like it." #cdnpoli #abpoli
Are we really MOVING BACKWARDS on #ClimateChange in Canada in spite of the hottest years on record & the worst #WILDFIRES and #SMOKE we've ever seen? We dig in with #CAPE & the Hub's own Dr Joe Vipond & #CANRAC 's Caroline Brouillette
PODCAST www.podcastics.com/episode/3955... #MarkCarney #cdnpoli
PODCAST www.podcastics.com/episode/3955... #MarkCarney #cdnpoli
Carney Banks On Big Oil
Canada's Climate Capitulation
www.podcastics.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:09 PM
"For Canada to thrive we must decide whether we are a #PetroState of the past or an #ElectroState of the future. Only one has a prosperous place in the #ClimateEra & a majority of Canadians already want stronger #ClimateAction. What's missing is a government willing to act like it." #cdnpoli #abpoli
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
This year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford decided that the province would no longer be required to make and hit climate targets.
It’s just one of many climate rollbacks from his government this year. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/31/n...
It’s just one of many climate rollbacks from his government this year. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/31/n...
A year of climate rollbacks under Doug Ford
To get a complete picture of the past year, Canada’s National Observer has compiled a list of climate policy reversals, along with legislation that experts say will have a detrimental impact on the cl...
www.nationalobserver.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
This year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford decided that the province would no longer be required to make and hit climate targets.
It’s just one of many climate rollbacks from his government this year. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/31/n...
It’s just one of many climate rollbacks from his government this year. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/31/n...
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
so much of the bike infrastructure debate is shaped by the presupposition that people who drive cars need their cars, whereas people who ride bikes don’t really need them
December 31, 2025 at 1:19 PM
so much of the bike infrastructure debate is shaped by the presupposition that people who drive cars need their cars, whereas people who ride bikes don’t really need them
Adding this to the back of OC Transpo buses would do more than whatever paltry revenue we get from those ads.
“Give way” … one bus equals 80 cars and 80 people (on the back of all the city buses in Baku).
December 31, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Adding this to the back of OC Transpo buses would do more than whatever paltry revenue we get from those ads.
Love the framing of bike and scoot lane here. Really punctures the “entitled cyclists” narrative in a way that nobody can reasonably argue that people on scooters are entitled (though I’m sure they may try anyways)
Families are already riding safely on Memorial Drive’s new protected bike and scoot lane, and Propel ATL helped make it happen.
In October, Jessica and her kids cut the ribbon on this two-way lane. youtu.be/Ssf_hJMwJD8
(Video: AS3 Storytelling)
In October, Jessica and her kids cut the ribbon on this two-way lane. youtu.be/Ssf_hJMwJD8
(Video: AS3 Storytelling)
Propel ATL | Memorial Drive
YouTube video by Propel ATL
youtu.be
December 29, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Love the framing of bike and scoot lane here. Really punctures the “entitled cyclists” narrative in a way that nobody can reasonably argue that people on scooters are entitled (though I’m sure they may try anyways)
It’s surprisingly fun to check in on all the #heatpumps we helped install this year and see how they’re all chugging away given the current Ottawa outside temperature.
Accidentally built a real-time heatpump performance modelling tool.
Try it here holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
Accidentally built a real-time heatpump performance modelling tool.
Try it here holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
December 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
It’s surprisingly fun to check in on all the #heatpumps we helped install this year and see how they’re all chugging away given the current Ottawa outside temperature.
Accidentally built a real-time heatpump performance modelling tool.
Try it here holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
Accidentally built a real-time heatpump performance modelling tool.
Try it here holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
PSA: if you live in Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, or Nova Scotia, you can order native plant seeds for FREE from the Ottawa Wildflower Seeds Library. Their annual seed giveaway starts today! wildflowerseedlibrary.ca
Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library – The Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library
wildflowerseedlibrary.ca
December 26, 2025 at 8:27 PM
PSA: if you live in Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, or Nova Scotia, you can order native plant seeds for FREE from the Ottawa Wildflower Seeds Library. Their annual seed giveaway starts today! wildflowerseedlibrary.ca
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
Happy Holidays to all our Fern friends, family, and supporters that helped us in our first year electrify 20+ homes.
Explore them all in our interactive holiday village! holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
Explore them all in our interactive holiday village! holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
Happy Holidays from Fern
A holiday greeting from Fern
holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
December 24, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Happy Holidays to all our Fern friends, family, and supporters that helped us in our first year electrify 20+ homes.
Explore them all in our interactive holiday village! holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
Explore them all in our interactive holiday village! holiday-card.ferncomfort.ca
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
New paper just dropped about sticks and carrots in climate policy: “Policy carrots alone do not dramatically reduce future emissions. Only with policy sticks are there unambiguous signals to substantially shrink the size of incumbent fossil fuel industries.”
December 23, 2025 at 10:00 PM
New paper just dropped about sticks and carrots in climate policy: “Policy carrots alone do not dramatically reduce future emissions. Only with policy sticks are there unambiguous signals to substantially shrink the size of incumbent fossil fuel industries.”
If domestic Canadian electric bus manufacturers can’t scale up and automate production to meet our own domestic (and global) electric bus demand (Ottawa’s 102 buses delayed), BYD is going to eat our lunch.
BYD set to more than triple electric bus production in Brazi.
🔌💡
www.sustainable-bus.com/news/byd-fac...
🔌💡
www.sustainable-bus.com/news/byd-fac...
BYD plans new Brazil bus factory as output scales from 2,000 to up to 7,000 units annually - Sustainable Bus
BYD is planning a new Brazil bus factory in order to scale electric bus and truck production to 6,000–7,000 units per year, after
www.sustainable-bus.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:59 PM
If domestic Canadian electric bus manufacturers can’t scale up and automate production to meet our own domestic (and global) electric bus demand (Ottawa’s 102 buses delayed), BYD is going to eat our lunch.
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
I want bicycle infrastructure that’s safe enough to do this
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 AM
I want bicycle infrastructure that’s safe enough to do this
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
We’re so grateful to everyone who welcomed us into their homes to make the switch to a heat pump this year. Here’s to a warm, cozy holiday season!
Keep your eyes peeled on your doorsteps for a fun ornament we made in collaboration with a local potter! ⚡️ 🎄
Keep your eyes peeled on your doorsteps for a fun ornament we made in collaboration with a local potter! ⚡️ 🎄
December 18, 2025 at 10:21 PM
We’re so grateful to everyone who welcomed us into their homes to make the switch to a heat pump this year. Here’s to a warm, cozy holiday season!
Keep your eyes peeled on your doorsteps for a fun ornament we made in collaboration with a local potter! ⚡️ 🎄
Keep your eyes peeled on your doorsteps for a fun ornament we made in collaboration with a local potter! ⚡️ 🎄
I don’t have a great baseline of what our electric 240V dryer + washer used to pull, but I was pretty surprised to see our #heatpump combo washer/dryer only uses $0.25 cents per load in electricity. And eliminated a building envelope penetration further improving our heating load.
#energysky
#energysky
December 17, 2025 at 1:02 AM
I don’t have a great baseline of what our electric 240V dryer + washer used to pull, but I was pretty surprised to see our #heatpump combo washer/dryer only uses $0.25 cents per load in electricity. And eliminated a building envelope penetration further improving our heating load.
#energysky
#energysky
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
Meet the world’s largest heat pumps.
From the Rhine to cities in Denmark and Finland, vast heat pump systems are being built to heat thousands of homes. Using rivers, seawater and wastewater, the UK is also tapping heat from disused flooded mines for new heat networks. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
From the Rhine to cities in Denmark and Finland, vast heat pump systems are being built to heat thousands of homes. Using rivers, seawater and wastewater, the UK is also tapping heat from disused flooded mines for new heat networks. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The giant heat pumps designed to warm whole districts
Across Europe huge heat pumps are being installed that can heat tens of thousands of homes.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 16, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Meet the world’s largest heat pumps.
From the Rhine to cities in Denmark and Finland, vast heat pump systems are being built to heat thousands of homes. Using rivers, seawater and wastewater, the UK is also tapping heat from disused flooded mines for new heat networks. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
From the Rhine to cities in Denmark and Finland, vast heat pump systems are being built to heat thousands of homes. Using rivers, seawater and wastewater, the UK is also tapping heat from disused flooded mines for new heat networks. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
An advent calendar, but it’s just Mmmuffins.
December 15, 2025 at 6:14 PM
An advent calendar, but it’s just Mmmuffins.
The vibes from the media coverage of Alberta “needing” a pipeline are a stark contrast to the massive increase in oil extraction + co2 emissions Alberta has been achieving, leaving our net zero commitments in the dust.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/15/a...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/15/a...
The CO2 extractors: Alberta oil vs Canadian climate policies
About the only thing Albertans produce more than crude oil are angry demands to kill off Canada’s climate policies — policies they claim have been throttling its oil industry. This series of charts sh...
www.nationalobserver.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:16 PM
The vibes from the media coverage of Alberta “needing” a pipeline are a stark contrast to the massive increase in oil extraction + co2 emissions Alberta has been achieving, leaving our net zero commitments in the dust.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/15/a...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/15/a...
Pretty rough stuff with the north end of sidewalks along Fisher near emperor being closed for the farm sewer work and people walking down the side of Fisher in traffic.
Even if the north end isn’t fully connected, we should probably plow the rest of it. #ottwalk
Even if the north end isn’t fully connected, we should probably plow the rest of it. #ottwalk
December 13, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Pretty rough stuff with the north end of sidewalks along Fisher near emperor being closed for the farm sewer work and people walking down the side of Fisher in traffic.
Even if the north end isn’t fully connected, we should probably plow the rest of it. #ottwalk
Even if the north end isn’t fully connected, we should probably plow the rest of it. #ottwalk
Reposted by Chris Taggart 🏡 ⚡️ 🔌
Having polluted air is a policy choice that is made at the municipal level. And likewise having clean air is a policy choice.
“Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic and made way for parks, people-streets and bike-lanes.”
Better for the climate, better for health, better for livability and quality of life.
Common sense.
Such a no-brainer, it’s remarkable that more cities HAVEN’T done the same.
Better for the climate, better for health, better for livability and quality of life.
Common sense.
Such a no-brainer, it’s remarkable that more cities HAVEN’T done the same.
Paris said au revoir to cars. Air pollution maps reveal a dramatic change.
Air pollution fell substantially as the city restricted car traffic and made way for parks and bike lanes.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Having polluted air is a policy choice that is made at the municipal level. And likewise having clean air is a policy choice.