The University of Minnesota Morris and partners from throughout the state are working together to explore pathways that allow residents and communities to decarbonize their heating loads. Many Minnesotans burn natural gas to heat their residences. But, there are emerging options to heat homes without burning natural gas or propane – one example is the air-source heat pump (ASHP). ASHPs can also be a more affordable heating option compared to propane or electric baseboard heating for some families.
In spring 2025, members of the Morris Model partnership, including UMN Morris, the city of Morris, UMN Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (SW RSDP), the West Central Clean Energy Resource Team (WC CERT), and UMN Institute on the Environment Climate Smart Municipalities asked the question: What kinds of training and resources would help regional heating-ventilation-and-cooling (HVAC) companies feel better prepared to deliver services to install ASHPs for cold climates? And, what could we learn by participating in the full installation of an ASHP in Morris?
SW RSDP Executive Director, Anne Dybsetter shares, “Exploring options for how we can heat our homes with clean energy is one of our focus areas. We know that cold climate heat pumps are an emerging technology solution. We want to make sure we are learning, experimenting, and sharing with the public what we know.”
In April 2025, Philip Jurischka arrived from Germany and began his work with the Morris Model partnership. The
goal of the project was to interview HVAC contractors across the region to better understand some of their challenges and concerns about ASHP installations. Jurischka also worked on the installation of a new heat pump at a residence in Morris.
Jurischka's internship in Morris ended in August of 2025. “I truly enjoyed my time in Morris continuing the exploration of heat pump potential. I am very thankful for the insights I gained working with contractors, residents, and key partners. There is so much we can learn from each other, and I am glad to bring this knowledge back home. The potential for this technology in North Rhine-Westphalia and across Germany is huge, and we can really take inspiration from Morris.”
WC CERT Coordinator Imani Emenyonu says, “It was great partnering with Philip during his internship. We learned more about the questions and ideas our regional contractors have on ASHP installation. We also learned about the installation process of these systems and how we can continue to advance this work in the years to come.”
Jurischka’s report can be found at the Morris Model website, under the Exploring the potential of (air-source) heat pumps in West-Central Minnesota section.
For nearly a decade, UMN Morris has hosted students from the Muenster University of Applied Sciences to work on sustainability projects in the community. Jurischka is the seventh student from MUAS to participate in an internship at UMN Morris Office of Sustainability. Other German interns include Jan Brommelhaus (community district-heating analysis), Britta Fuengers (solar at Morris Area School District analysis), Marc Brosius (campus thermal-load analysis), Michael Abbing (Morris freshwater treatment plant analysis), Felix Luecken (City of Morris solar analysis), Manuel Reinert (Morris community heat-pump analysis).