our rationale for counting

All energy inputs and all energy outputs from all sources of energy must be included in any scenario to examine how to reduce energy use and environmental harm:

renewable energy is produced from wind turbines & solar panels, but wood stoves & solar thermal pool heating have produced renewable thermal energy for a much longer period and have been recognized for their contribution
heat pumps deliver thermal energy by transferring heat from the ground or from the air, and that process requires a smaller amount of performance electricity to run compressors, motors, etc
heat pumps require no battery storage because their source of thermal energy is stored naturally in the ground or air, and that energy can be extracted, processed & delivered at any time
heat pumps are referred to as energy efficient, but they deliver 100% of the thermal demand into the building; the term 'efficiency' only applies to the lower amount of commercial electricity that is purchased from the grid to power mechanical components for the process
failure to quantify the production of renewable thermal energy from heat pumps will result in inaccurate accounting of energy supply data
qualifying the output of heat pumps as renewable energy will accelerate consumer acceptance of the technology, and allow heat pumps to be eligible for production tax credits and other incentives given to solar panels & wind turbines
as power generation transitions to wind & solar, a heat pump means that the total amount of energy produced for / consumed in the building is renewable