 By Jeanne Brown Building Electrification is the term used when converting all your energy uses to electricity rather than natural gas. “Natural” gas is almost 95 % methane. Methane has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 28-36 times that of CO2. San Diego’s Climate Action Plan’s goals will not be achieved without cutting this fuel from our energy budget.So let’s look at how we can achieve this. The most logical change is to make sure that new construction doesn’t include the installation of gas infrastructure. That will save money in construction, will make those communities safer from explosions and they will never have the inevitable expense of conversion to all-electric. For the rest of us, what could we be doing? Induction Cooking: This is not your mother’s electric stove! A number of groups, including the Sierra Club and the San Diego Green Building Council, have a free 3-week Induction cooktop trial. Try www.ehomecooktops.com. The scare tactics are that you have to go out and buy a whole new expensive set of cookware. My cast-iron pans worked as well as my wok and one of my fry pans. It was as sensitive as gas, if not more so. Gas stoves combust and release pollutants to our homes. Children who live in homes with gas stoves have a 42% increase in asthmatic symptoms and a 24% increase in being diagnosed with asthma. Heat pump heating and air-conditioning: Electric heat pumps move warm air from outside to the inside for heating, and from inside to the outside for air conditioning. They are many times more efficient than natural gas. In San Diego with our relatively mild climate, heat pumps work very well. Heat pump water heaters: These water heaters are extremely efficient for electrification as well.There is a $500 instant rebate from SDG&E for changing to a heat-pump water heater and a $300 tax credit from the IRS. Electric Clothes drying: Electric clothes dryers are one solution. A clothesline is another. The electric dryers vary in efficiency and whether they require 120V or 240V. Are you a renter and don’t have control over any of this? What can you do? (1) Be sure to support Community Choice Energy that will allow us to have the choice of clean renewable electricity. (2) Continue your membership with SD 350. San Diego 350 is a founding member of the San Diego Building Electrification Coalition. (3) Volunteer to help us change the codes in cities around our county.There is also more legislation coming from Sacramento. SB 1477 provides $50 million in annual incentives through 2023 to jumpstart the market for clean, low- emission heating technologies. California’s updated building code requires all new single-family and low-rise apartment homes in the state to have access to renewable electricity. This is the perfect time for us to begin to electrify our homes and businesses. Want to get involved with electrifying the county? Volunteer at info@sdbec.orgwww.sdbec.org @SDBECoalition on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram |
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