Page 17 - Green Builder Sept-Oct 2020 Issue
P. 17
All-electric homes by census region
BY ALAN NADITZ
NCE UPON A TIME, Charles Arias thought all the (2005, 2009, 2015)
talk about an emerging electric housing market Share of all primary residences
was just that—talk. He says he couldn’t envision a
time when people would willingly give up all-too- 50%
O convenient natural gas water heaters or stoves in
favor of electric-powered models that, in his opinion, simply didn’t 45% 2015
perform as well. 2005 2009
Fast-forward ve years. He now lives in a Sacramento-area all-
electric community and has no complaints. “I admit I was wrong, 40%
or at least not well informed about electricity versus gas,” he says.
“They are, in most instances, on equal par. My utility bill is even a 35%
few dollars less each month, which is pretty good, considering this
house is about , square feet bigger than my old one.” 30% million homes (2015)
Expect that pro-electricity scenario to play out more over the next
decade, as people become better aware of the benets of electric South 19.7
power, according to a report by Boulder, Colorado-based marketing 25%
intelligence rm Guidehouse Insights (formerly Navigant Research). West 4.6
Report co-authors Daniel Talero and Neil Strother say electrication 20%
technologies are “rapidly becoming more cost eective and more Midwest 3.8
reliable than fossil fuel systems in a variety of planning scenarios 15%
and climatic conditions…although mixed systems predominate, the Northeast 1.6
electrication of all residential energy end uses is desirable for many 10%
consumers, and is expected to increase substantially on a -year 0 10 20
timeline.”
The study projects more than a percent increase in revenue— 5% First quarter action. Twenty-five
from $. billion in to $. billion in —for fully electried percent of homes nationwide now
home technologies. The report denes a “fully electric home” (FEH) 0% use only electricity, with the share of
all-electric homes rising in each
as one where space heating, water heating and cooking are electried census region over the past decade,
through the use of air source heat pumps (ASHPs), heat pump water SOURCE: U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION particularly in the Midwest and South.
heaters (HPWHs), and induction cooking technologies. Insulation
and energy management systems (EMS) are not part of the denition,
but many FEHs have them, the reports adds. That may not be so easy. Natural gas remains the least expensive
Pushing that growth will be high demand for cost-effective fossil fuel-based energy source and is the preferred heating tool for ¥
technology such as insulation and heat pump water heaters, rapidly percent of all U.S. households, according to DOE. There is also a much
improving cost and performance metrics across climate zones and larger number of older, gas-dependent homes—about million
markets, and high job creation associated with building retrotting, nationwide to nearly ¦ million electric-only—and owners are more
the study notes. likely to stick with what’s been working for them, the agency notes.
It’s primarily a case of money, according to the Rocky Mountain
THE BURNING QUESTION Institute (RMI), which in ¥ released a study on the economics
There’s also a reality clause: Approximately million American of electrifying home buildings. In general, the study found that the
homes burn natural gas, oil or propane onsite to heat interior space older the home, the more likely it is to function on, and continue to
and water. This generates ¡ million tons of CO each year—one- use, gas-powered appliances. “In many scenarios, notably for most
tenth of total U.S. emissions, and just under half of all residential new home construction, we nd electrication reduces costs over
end-use energy consumption nationally, according to the U.S. the lifetime of the appliances when compared with fossil fuels,” the
Environmental Protection Agency. “If you think about that, it makes study notes. “However, for the many existing homes currently heated
electricity a more-attractive path,” Arias says. “As long as you know with natural gas, electrication will increase costs at today’s prices,
what you want and what’s out there, there appears to be no reason compared to replacing gas furnaces and water heaters with new
not to at least think about making the conversion, or ¢at-out buying gas devices.”
a house that already says goodbye to [natural] gas.” A ¥ study from the§ California Building Industry
Association§(CBIA) found that homes with natural gas appliances
could cost up to $, to upgrade wiring and electrical panels for
Watt house. Stanford University Professor Marc Jacobson went all the purchase of new electric appliances, average $¥ per household
electric with his custom-made home in a successful effort to prove how each year in increased energy costs, and result in an overall cost
easy it is to transition off fossil fuels.
increase of $.¦ billion to $¡. billion per year.
CREDIT: BONE STRUCTURE AND MARC JACOBSON
www.greenbuildermedia.com September/October 2020 GREEN BUILDER 15
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