The fifth edition of the event continues to draw strong crowds.
HRAI president/CEO Sandy MacLeod opens the 2026 Heat Pump Symposium in Vancouver, the fifth edition of the event.
The fifth edition of the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada’s (HRAI) Heat Pump Symposium made a return visit to Vancouver and the crowds came out to learn about the latest in heat pump tech and gain a better understanding of how to grow marketshare for the products in Canada.
The opening keynote, delivered by Stéphanie Breton of Dunsky Energy and Climate Advisors, addressed the growth of heat pump installations across Europe and Canada, identifying obstacles to greater adoption in some areas and the opportunities for the market.
Stéphanie Breton, opening keynote at the Symposiium.
Breton emphasized the role contractors play in promoting the growth of heat pumps. As the “feet on the ground” contractors are the trusted voice for the customers.
One of the obstacles in regions across Canada is the “spark ratio,” the price difference between electricity and gas in different areas of the country. The lower the ratio the greater the heat pump adoption, that’s why heat pump growth has been strongest in Quebec, Atlantic Canada followed by B.C.
The keynote was followed by a session on emerging technologies, and then there were break out sessions with some practical insights on installations and lessons learned in Europe.
The tradeshow element was crowded during the breaks with plenty of heat pump manufacturers and distributors on hand.
Afternoon sessions included topics like training initiatives, geoexchange and more technologies promoting electrification. And the final sessions were on getting homeowners to embrace heat pumps and finally an update on the decarbonization efforts in Europe and what we can take away from the path they are leading.
The next edition of the Heat Pump Symposium returns to Toronto in the Spring of 2027.