Back to the Future! Were All Electric Homes 60 years ahead of their time?

In the 1950’s and 60’s, electric utilities were promoting all-electric homes as a way to build load. With seemingly limitless cheap resources, all-electric homes were all about modern convenience and the future. But, despite their promise, resource constraints, technology, and costs effectively relegated them to museum  status.

Decades later, the idea of all-electric homes is becoming the rage again. But this time, as a conservation and carbon reduction opportunity. With SMUD’s and California’s electric grid becoming ever-cleaner, cheap rooftop photovoltaics, major improvements in heat-pump technologies, electric homes are poised right along with electric cars as one of the best things you can do for the environment. In fact, the recent study ‘California’s Energy Future’ by the California Council on Science and Technology of how California can meet its ambitious (or fair share) 80 percent carbon reduction goal by 2050, concludes nearly complete electrification of the transportation and buildings sectors would be required.

So how do we do it? Is this some academic study? No, in fact, similar studies done in Europe and Japan reach the same conclusions. Heat pumps, (the same technology that allows your refrigerator to keep food cold or frozen for less energy than a continuously running 60 Watt light-bulb), have vastly improved in efficiency in recent years. They are able to provide the equivalent of 150 percent to 700 percent efficiency (or 1.5 to 7 COP for all you engineers) depending on whether they are used in heating or cooling mode. They seem to break the rules of efficiency because they actually use the heat that is available in the air rather than combusting fuel. And they are flying off the shelves! In Europe and Japan at least.

Now available for water heating and space heating and cooling, heat pumps combined with SMUD’s already 50 percent decarbonized electricity grid offer carbon savings for the average Sacramento household of 50-60 percent relative to heating your home and hot water with natural gas.  Again, these are technologies that are commercially available today. They save about as much carbon as switching from a Prius to a Volt, and combined are about a quarter of the cost of a Volt!

But are they sexy? Not unless you are an energy efficiency nerd and are into BTU’s and HSPF’s. They look  pretty much like your standard furnace or air conditioning unit, although some of them have some pretty ‘cute’ names. For instance, in Japan, the ‘eco-Cute’ heat pump hot water heater, (not-so-sexy reason: according to Wikipedia, derived from ‘Kyuto’ – supply hot water), or from GE, the ‘hybrid’ water heater (not-so-sexy-reason: because it has an electric resistance backup to keep up with possible high demand. Additionally, there are the ‘mini-split’ heat pumps, which look like nicely styled window or room air-conditioning units, and offer efficiencies that are unbelievable, up to twice as efficient as a standard air conditioner, and 4X as efficient as a standard heater over a cooling and heating season respectively. (SEER and HSPF)

So they cost a lot right? I mean, they save a bunch of carbon, they are really efficient, they must be crazy-expensive to put in. Well, they do cost a bit more than conventional heating and air conditioning systems up front, but with the greater efficiencies come cost savings as well. Depending on your prices for natural gas and electricity, paybacks are in the range of 5 – 10 years without incentives, and the units can last 15-20 years. So, probably more cost-effective than solar PV. 

Ok, enough sales. SMUD is actively evaluating opportunities for carbon reduction through electrification of buildings. I expect we’ll find there are significant opportunities, and along with the state, will begin a policy push like they have in Japan and Europe to make sure this opportunity is taken. Stay tuned.