The advantages of home electrification are numerous. All-electric homes are cheaper to run. Modern electric appliances are highly efficient, they reduce your carbon footprint, and they keep indoor air cleaner because no fuel combustion occurs. Further, as utilities convert to greener energy, the electricity you use becomes cleaner. However, you do need to plan wisely to get the full advantages of electrification. Here's how:
Key Components of Electrification Planning
The Energy Audit: This is the first and most important step because it establishes the blueprint for any future improvements in your home’s energy efficiency and, specifically, reveals where in your home you can leverage the greatest savings. Inexpensive, easy-to-fix problems such as installing weather-stripping or sealing air leaks can quickly reduce utility bills and ready your home for bigger investments (e.g., an HVAC system, other appliances). If you move ahead without an audit, you risk wasting money on appliances with insufficient capacity or investing in things with little benefit at all. Call your utility company to schedule an energy audit with a participating contractor.
Financing: Planning your energy efficiency project(s) based on an audit also allows you to sequence the work optimally, with potentially large financial benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). To take full advantage of financial rebates (some routed through your utility company) and the income tax reductions provided under the IRA, check out the financial incentives summary table listed in the resources section at the end of this article. As some of these incentives have yearly caps, it may be wise to spread out your energy efficiency projects over several years to maximize the benefits.
Weatherizing and Insulation: Don’t waste heating and cooling on the great outdoors. The first step is to install weather stripping and seal air leaks as indicated by your audit. More expensive, and usually requiring professional contractors, are window replacements and wall and ceiling insulation. Because heat rises and the summer sun beats down, good nontoxic attic insulation is important. New Jersey offers utility rebates for insulation.
Windows can be a major source of home energy inefficiency. On average, about 30% of a home’s winter heating is lost through windows, and the summer sun significantly heats homes via the windows. If you don’t want to replace your windows, having suitable window coverings installed can save a lot on heating and cooling expenses and, correspondingly, reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.
HVAC and Hot Water: Depending on the age and condition of your furnace and air-conditioning, it may be advisable to upgrade these systems. If you have a duct system in place, heat pumps are the way to go. Heat pumps heat and cool extremely efficiently by using a refrigerant that simply transfers heat either into your house from the outside (down to very low temperatures) to warm it, or out of your house to cool it. Heat pumps are worth installing even if only the furnace or air-conditioning needs replacement. “Ground-sourced” heat pumps are able to exchange heat with the more constant earth temperature many feet below ground, although these are much more expensive.
Hot water also can be generated using a highly efficient heat pump for tank or tankless “on demand” model water heaters. Your current water heater’s age and the rebate availability can help with a replacement decision. A less expensive alternative is an Energy Star electric water heater, either tank or tankless.
Electricity Needs: Planning allows you to know whether you need to upgrade your electric panel or electrical wiring. Consider all the electrical needs your plan requires, including whether you expect to buy electric cars at some point, so that you have the expense of upgrading your electrical system just once. Most experts agree that a 200-amp panel will allow for all the above improvements.
Resources
Financial incentives table: http://bit.ly/TaxCreditsandNJRebatesbit.ly/TaxCreditsandNJRebates
Window insulation: shorturl.at/pswzI