I'm all for this effort, but this is not yet a compelling story. I've never had a problem getting a heat pump installed in prior homes. So if the market value is avoiding pain in hiring contractors... I simply have not felt that pain. Asking me to pre-order something that already exists when you have no physical prototypes feels like you are jumping the gun.
I do hope you succeed - I love heat pumps and want more of them to exist in this world. But not having a prototype yet and asking people what their ideas and experiences are feels like you are just starting market research, not that you are in a place to be taking orders.
Reading the original post, I knew immediately that you were not familiar with what’s going on in the southwest, or Arizona at least. We’ve been doing heat pumps for a long time out here. Most people talk about them like they’re AC but as far as I am aware they’re all heat pumps because it does get chilly overnight in deserts in the winter.
I do hope you succeed - I love heat pumps and want more of them to exist in this world. But not having a prototype yet and asking people what their ideas and experiences are feels like you are just starting market research, not that you are in a place to be taking orders.