Why Electrify Homes and Businesses?
Last week C3 and the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) hosted our Electrification is the Future! Virtual Lunch-n-Learn which explored the benefits of going all-electric for heating/cooling your home, cooking, and heating water. The event featured Jesse Warren, Program Manager of UVA Facilities; Keith Nordstrom, A&J Heating and Air; John Semmelhack, Owner of Think Little; and our very own Susan Kruse, Executive Director of C3 who recently switched her home from natural gas to all-electric.
If you weren’t able to attend, you can watch the recording on our YouTube Channel and listed below are five key takeaways from the local experts and presenters.
Health & Safety Benefits Abound
Old HVAC systems can have serious consequences for indoor air quality. Increased exposure to pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide pose health hazards, especially to vulnerable populations like young children and those with pre-existing health conditions. All-electric homes can provide piece of mind knowing your living space has eliminated toxic compounds in the air that other fuels such as natural gas, kerosene, and fuel oil can create.
Additionally, electric appliances are safer to cook with than gas stovetops. During John’s live tour he placed his palm directly on the cooktop of the Kruse’s new electric stove, showing us how the surface was barely warm after 30 minutes of boiling water. Susan commented that these extra benefits bring her peace of mind having two elementary school children who enjoy cooking.
Cost Savings Achieved Over Time
Transitioning to an all-electric home can save money over time. The local case study John Semmelhack highlighted was of the 1,600 square foot Kruse home in Charlottesville built in 1959. Since last November, Susan has already saved $150 in heating costs compared to her old gas furnace. She’s on track to save $500 on annual energy cost and will reduce their CO2e emissions by over 50% from 2019! It’s important to note that her old system was actually 5 times too large for her home, which is all too common, John said.
Matt Risinger Reviews Electric Water Heaters
We recommend Matt Risinger’s popular YouTube channel. In this video he’s evaluating three water heaters and showing the cost savings over time. You can see that a hybrid water heater (i.e. a heat pump style water heater), won’t necessarily save you money in the first year, but over a 5 and 10 year period is the clear money saver.
Electrification is Key to a Cleaner Climate.
85% of our attendees cited climate concerns as the key reason for attending the event. Electrification is definitely an important tool in our climate solutions toolbox. But the question arose, if Virginia is still largely powered by coal-fired plants, how can going electric “be green”? Good question! The recent Virginia Clean Economy Act legislation, as well as Governor Northam’s commitment to achieve 100% carbon free electricity by 2040 and Net Zero Emissions for all sectors by 2045, has laid the groundwork for a cleaner grid in the Commonwealth. Susan Kruse showed C3’s grid projection chart (below) and explained that if 100% of your home’s emissions are coming from electricity, you can assume that the electrical grid will get 15% cleaner by 2025 as compared to 2020. Note: this is not an actual estimation or projection, but assumption C3 arrived at using UVA Professor Bill Shobe’s scenario analysis.
Based on C3’s Director of Climate Policy research on the Commonwealth’s evolving grid.
Technology Has Improved Dramatically.
Efficiency is extremely important, and going all-electric can help us achieve more efficient energy consumption. Electric appliances are more powerful, have better response times, and give the user greater ability to fine tune controls. Natural gas furnaces blast heat in unpredictable patterns, but electric systems run all the time and provide consistent temperatures instead of sporadic on/off cycles.
Electrification of office spaces and small businesses has its benefits too. With more advanced technologies than ever before, businesses can discreetly incorporate electric models of heating and cooling equipment that are out of sight. Jesse Warren (UVA Sustainability) toured the UVA Old Ivy Office building (Human Resources Department), highlighting how an all-electric building enhances the visual aesthetic of a sophisticated office space by keeping bulky mechanical equipment hidden away. From the Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system tucked away in the ceiling, to built-in microwaves for the office kitchenette, an all electric business has big potential for energy-savings and savvy design.
Get Excited for Part 2!
We hope this presentation has you excited to join the next virtual Lunch-n-Learn later this spring! Part Two, which is slated for May, will address more of the “How” of going electric as well as mythbusting about making the switch. We are hoping to attract homeowners who are ready to take the electrification leap as well as installers who are ready to learn more about how they can aid these transitions. We’ll see you there!