What Is a Heat Pump? A Beginner’s Guide for Building Owners

Ian Motley on August 21, 2026

What Is a Heat Pump? A Beginner’s Guide for Building Owners

By Ian Motley, President | August 17, 2026

Hudson Clean Heat Image

For many buildings in the NYC metro area, heat pumps are becoming a practical way to improve heating and cooling efficiency while reducing emissions.

A heat pump is a heating and cooling system that moves heat instead of creating it by burning fuel. For commercial buildings, heat pumps can support space heating, cooling, domestic hot water, heat recovery, low-pressure steam, and high-temperature hot water.

Heat pumps are an important part of building electrification because they can help reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and support long-term carbon compliance.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

A heat pump moves heat from one place to another. In heating mode, it captures heat from outdoor air, water, wastewater, recovered heat, or other sources and transfers that into the building.

A heat pump in cooling mode removes heat from the building and, in some systems, reuses the heat elsewhere instead of wasting it. Heat pumps don’t need to create their heat from scratch. Rather, they can recover and reuse energy that may already be available in or around the building.

Heating and Cooling Capabilities

As mentioned, heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling. This is useful in commercial buildings, as various sections of a location require different demands at the same time. 

For instance, tenant spaces, mechanical rooms, and domestic hot water systems can all create different loads throughout the day. A properly designed heat pump system can help move heat where it is needed and reduce waste, while improving building performance. 

Air-Source vs. Water-Source Heat Pumps

Air-source heat pumps use outdoor air as the heat source and can be used for both heating and cooling. 

These heat pumps may integrate well with outdoor equipment, packaged units, or distributed systems. They’re typically used when a building needs an electric heating and cooling option without relying on onsite fossil fuel combustion.

Water-source heat pumps use water as the heat source or transfer medium. This can include condenser water loops, ground source systems, wastewater, recovered heat, or other water-based sources.

For many New York buildings, water-source heat pumps are a strong option to consider because they can support higher-temperature needs, heat recovery, domestic hot water, and simultaneous heating and cooling.

High-temperature heat pump solutions can deliver hot water up to 248°F, which is important for hydronic buildings that require higher temperatures. Water-source heat pump technology also supports clean low-pressure steam for steam-heated buildings looking to reduce emissions and maintain existing infrastructure. 

Energy Efficiency Benefits

Heat pumps generally help reduce energy waste. Instead of burning fuel every time a building needs heat, heat pumps move existing heat and put it to use. 

Advanced heat pump applications can provide annual energy savings of up to 80%, with similar potential reductions in CO2 emissions depending on the building and system design.  Every building has different heating loads, space limits, and compliance goals, so the right design matters. 

Common Commercial Applications

Heat pumps also support several key building needs, including:

  • Low-pressure steam
  • High-temperature hydronic heating
  • Domestic hot water
  • Heat recovery
  • Simultaneous heating and cooling

These applications are a strong fit for many larger, commercial buildings working toward enhancing their built environment.

Why Heat Pumps Matter for Building Electrification

Building electrification means moving away from onsite fossil fuel combustion and using electric systems instead. Heat pumps are a key part of that transition.

In New York City, Local Law 97 places emissions caps on most buildings over 25,000 square feet. Local Law 154 also limits fossil fuel use in new construction. These rules are pushing building owners and facility managers to look at cleaner and more efficient heating and cooling options. 

 

Interested in learning if a heat pump is right for your building?

Contact Hudson Clean Heat Today

Discuss your building’s heating and cooling needs.

Building New York’s Greener Future: A Q&A with Ian Motley, President of Hudson Clean Heat

matthew on August 5, 2026

Building New York’s Greener Future: A Q&A with Ian Motley, President of Hudson Clean Heat

Building New York’s Greener Future

At Hudson Clean Heat (HCH), our mission is to lead the way in sustainable heating, decarbonisation and building electrification. Behind every major initiative is a dedicated team driving that vision forward.

We sat down with Ian Motley, President of Hudson Clean Heat, to discuss his journey, the vision following the company’s launch, key industry partnerships, and where HCH is headed next.

Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself and your role at Hudson Clean Heat?

Ian Motley: My name is Ian Motley, and I am the President of Hudson Clean Heat.

Q: What brought you to Miller-Proctor-Nickolas (MPN), Hudson, and ultimately HCH?

Ian Motley: I was initially introduced to Miller-Proctor-Nickolas and the 2Hudson family back in 2024 when I was approached to serve as the program manager for the Empire Technology Prize and our heat pump line. That experience naturally paved the way to leading Hudson Clean Heat.

Q: How have the first days been following the official launch?

Ian Motley: Since launching Hudson Clean Heat on July 1st, it has been a whirlwind—but in the best way possible. There’s a clear direction now. It feels much less like scattered movement and far more like a singular, focused mission. It’s been a great combination of operational and administrative groundwork, and overall, it’s been a lot of fun.

Q: Who are some of the partners you’re proud to work with through HCH?

Ian Motley: We work with an equal mix of accelerators, MEP firms, engineers, and manufacturers. Some of our key equipment partners include Cleaver-Brooks and Oilon, our friends over in Finland. Working alongside them day in and day out to bring cutting-edge heating solutions to market has been fantastic.

Q: What should people know when reaching out to HCH, or about the company in general?

Ian Motley: When people work with Hudson Clean Heat, they should know they’re dealing with a team whose entire background and deep experience are rooted in real-world heating solutions. We aren’t just an electrification startup with purely theoretical ideas; sustainable retrofits are our core focus. When we step into a building, we truly understand the real-world operational, maintenance, and ownership challenges you face every day.

Q: Where do you see HCH heading in the future?

Ian Motley: I see Hudson Clean Heat becoming the go-to advisor and consultant for commercial and industrial real estate, as well as the engineering firms serving those markets across the Hudson Valley, New York metro area, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

Whether it’s hospitals, breweries, distilleries, or large residential complexes, I want HCH to be the first call whenever a facility starts thinking about a plan to electrify or decarbonize their built environment.

Q: What’s your quick pitch to someone who is completely unfamiliar with HCH?

Ian Motley: If you’re looking to upgrade or decarbonize your building, we are an approachable, knowledgeable team to connect with. We will always give you transparent, solid advice – even if you don’t end up working with us.

Simply put: There’s no risk, only reward when reaching out to Hudson Clean Heat.

Interested in exploring clean heat retrofits or decarbonizing your building? Contact the Hudson Clean Heat team today to start the conversation.