Fuel Switching: Taking the Plunge Into Electrification

The Community Climate Collaborative (C3) and Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) are teaming up with a handful of area households to usher them through a fuel-switch from natural gas, oil, or propane to electricity. Find out why this is an important and viable climate solution. 

Did you know that after driving, the biggest individual contributor to GHG emissions is the heating and cooling of our homes. The good news is that there are many ways you can reduce your emissions and save money at the same time. 

The first action, and usually the most economically feasible, is to reduce heating and cooling emissions (and utility costs!) by adjusting the thermostat. The next step includes fixing our “leaky” homes with energy efficiency improvements like weatherization, insulation, and air sealing. But for deeper energy savings we must also examine our current HVAC systems, including looking at the age and source of power (fuel). 

Fuel Source

The type of fuel (electricity, natural gas, propane, oil) can have a big impact on your carbon footprint because different fuels have different carbon emissions rates (amount of emissions produced per amount of heat produced). Natural gas is considered to have the cleanest burn rate, whereas coal and oil are at the top of the list of dirty fuels. Even though emissions from gas power plants are significantly lower than other fuels, it’s important to note that these comparisons do not factor in the total life cycle emissions of natural gas as a fuel source, which often include methane leaks during drilling, extraction, and transport. 

Source: EIA.gov

Why Electrify?

So, what about electricity? The emissions rate of electricity from our grid can vary considerably, depending on the fuel sources used to produce that electricity. According to the U.S. Energy Information Association (EIA), the majority of Virginia’s electricity production is generated from natural gas (53%), followed closely by the state’s two nuclear power plants (31%). Coal makes up most of the rest (10%) along with small sources of hydroelectric, petroleum, solar, and biomass (7%). Fortunately, the 2020 Clean Economy Act passed by the VA General Assembly includes a mandate for utilities to significantly increase the percentage of renewable energy in the mix over the next 30 years.

Although Virginia’s grid is not made up with as many renewables as we would like and we haven’t hit our emissions reduction targets yet (key word being yet), there are many cases to be made for choosing electricity over other fuel sources. 

First, electricity removes safety risks associated with combustion of fossil fuels inside your home that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas-burning appliances can release nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, affecting indoor air quality and contributing to respiratory health issues. Heat pump technology, which in the past has been considered inadequate for home heating in cold climates, has advanced significantly over the last decade, becoming increasingly more efficient.

But the most climate-forward reason to choose electricity is its potential to be generated with clean and renewable fuel sources like solar and wind power. Without electricity and a significant investment in renewable energy, we will not be able to meet our net-zero climate action goals by mid-century.

Locally, we rely on a variety of fuel sources. According to the City of Charlottesville’s 2016 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, electricity makes up the majority of building energy consumption (55%). However, approximately 43% of building energy consumption (both residential and commercial) is natural gas. and 2% is linked to other fuel sources like wood, oil, and propane.

Fuel Switching Project

That’s why the Community Climate Collaborative (C3) and Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) decided to team up and partner with six households to usher them through a fuel-switch from natural gas, oil, or propane to electricity. 

Over the coming months, we are excited to get to know these families and share their personal stories and experiences with you to demystify what may seem like a complex project into something tangible. We look forward to what this pilot can uncover to make electrification, and clean energy, accessible across our community.

Stay tuned for more reporting on this project!