Quick Summary

Bronson partnered with Natural Resources Canada to study heat pump adoption across Canadian agriculture.

The work covered greenhouses, grain and oilseed, dairy, poultry, and hog operations, a sector that uses nearly 300 PJ of energy each year.

Bronson ran 13 operator surveys, 10 stakeholder interviews, and 2 case studies, supported by a review of published research.

Findings quantified the environmental and economic impact of wider adoption and flagged the main barriers: awareness, capital cost, technical fit, and infrastructure.

Bronson delivered a final report and a set of policy recommendations to guide NRCan’s program design, funding, and outreach.

Project Overview

Natural Resources Canada engaged Bronson Consulting through the Office of Energy Efficiency to assess how heat pump technology could accelerate on-farm electrification and energy efficiency across Canada’s agricultural sector.

Canadian agriculture is both an economic powerhouse and a significant energy consumer. With operations spanning every climate zone in the country, the sector faces unique challenges in reducing emissions and adopting clean technologies. Heat pumps, widely recognized as one of the most efficient electrification technologies available, present a strong opportunity to lower operating costs and decarbonize farm operations, but real-world adoption remains limited.

NRCan needed a clear, evidence-based view of where heat pump deployment could deliver the greatest impact, what was holding adoption back, and what policy or program interventions could move the needle. The work was designed to inform the federal government’s clean energy strategy and shape future funding programs targeting Canada’s farms.

Bronson’s role was to bring structure, data, and stakeholder insight to a sector defined by its diversity, helping NRCan turn a complex technology question into a clear roadmap for action.

The Challenge

Canada’s farms vary enormously in size, geography, energy use, and operational design. A heat pump strategy that works for an Ontario greenhouse will not work for a Prairie grain operation or a Quebec dairy farm. NRCan needed research that could account for this complexity while still producing actionable national-level insights.

The main challenges Bronson tackled:

  • Diverse farm archetypes. Greenhouses, grain and oilseed operations, dairy, poultry, and hog facilities all have very different energy needs, seasonal demands, and infrastructure constraints.
  • Limited adoption data. There was no consolidated picture of where heat pumps were already being used in Canadian agriculture or what real-world performance looked like.
  • Multiple barriers to adoption. Awareness gaps, capital cost concerns, technical integration challenges, and regional infrastructure limitations all played a role, but the relative weight of each was unclear.
  • Diverse stakeholder voices. Producers, researchers, equipment suppliers, and farm associations each had a different lens on the problem. The research had to integrate all of them.
  • Policy translation. Findings needed to move beyond technical analysis and translate directly into recommendations that federal program designers could act on.

NRCan needed evidence. NRCan needed stakeholder credibility. And NRCan needed a roadmap that connected the realities of Canadian agriculture to the policy levers available at the federal level.

Our Solution and Impact

Bronson designed a national mixed-methods study that combined quantitative energy and operational analysis with direct engagement across the agricultural sector.

The work was organized into four integrated research streams:

  1. Operator Surveys: Bronson administered detailed surveys to 13 agricultural operators across the five priority farm types. The surveys captured energy use patterns, current technology adoption, financial considerations, and operator perspectives on barriers and opportunities for heat pumps.
  2. Stakeholder Interviews: Bronson conducted in-depth interviews with 10 industry stakeholders, including researchers, technology suppliers, and farm association representatives. These conversations added the broader sector context and surfaced systemic barriers that individual operators may not see.
  3. Case Study Development: Two focused case studies documented real-world heat pump implementations, drawing out practical lessons on installation, performance, payback, and integration with existing farm operations.
  4. Published Research Review: The team integrated findings with a structured review of published research on heat pump performance, agricultural energy use, and clean technology adoption to support trend analysis applicable to each farm archetype.

Key Deliverables

  • Final Research Report – A comprehensive analysis of the heat pump adoption landscape across Canadian agriculture, organized by farm archetype and including barrier and opportunity analysis for greenhouses, grain and oilseed, dairy, poultry, and hog operations.
  • Environmental and Economic Impact Assessment – Quantified projections of potential emissions reductions, operating cost savings, and energy efficiency gains from broader heat pump adoption across the sector.
  • Policy and Program Recommendations – Practical, evidence-based recommendations targeting the four main adoption barriers Bronson identified: awareness gaps among farmers, capital cost concerns, technical integration challenges, and regional infrastructure limitations.
  • Implementation Guidance – Specific suggestions for how NRCan can refine funding programs, outreach strategies, and policy frameworks to accelerate clean technology adoption in agriculture.

The Impact

The study gave Natural Resources Canada a much clearer picture of where heat pumps fit into the future of Canadian agriculture, and what it will take to get there. By grounding national-level recommendations in direct operator experience and stakeholder insight, Bronson’s work helps NRCan:

  • Target funding and incentive programs at the farm types and regions where heat pumps deliver the greatest return.
  • Design outreach and education to close the awareness gaps that often stall adoption before it starts.
  • Address capital cost barriers through better-structured financial supports.
  • Sequence policy and program investments based on evidence, not assumptions.

The result is a strategic foundation for accelerating clean energy adoption across one of Canada’s most important and energy-intensive industries, supporting the federal government’s broader climate and electrification goals while strengthening the long-term competitiveness of Canadian farms.

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