Net-zero house by Rolf Kielman Last month, I had a heat pump installed in our Burlington home. The centrally ducted system helps address the climate crisis by replacing some natural-gas-fueled heat during the shoulder seasons with heat generated by electricity. Burlington s electricity comes from all-renewable sources the wood-chip-fired McNeil Generating Station, hydro and wind rather than fossil fuels. So the Burlington Electric Department, which also serves as the city s energy-efficiency utility, is incentivizing such carbon-reducing measures with rebates. Of our total bill, $6,900, BED rebated $4,500. That made me feel good, of course. But, considering that the built environment accounts for 39 percent of the world s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, it s a drop in the bucket. A more comprehensive approach to reducing buildings fossil fuel use and carbon emissions is urge