Studies show that electrifying our transportation and building sectors are the fastest ways to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These sectors combined generate nearly 70% of total greenhouse gases in many states, including California.
Our country is making excellent progress in the transportation sector as electric vehicles replace conventional gas vehicles – which generate zero emissions when powered by solar- and wind-generated electricity. Since trucks and buses are larger, it will take a few more years before electrification of these vehicles becomes commonplace. Nevertheless, since average vehicles are on the road for about 10 years, it is entirely feasible to completely electrify California’s vehicles in 10 to 20 years. Without national leadership, this transition will take longer in the rest of the country.
25%of green house gas (GHG) emissions come from the building sector – mostly heating, cooling and lighting. When many buildings were constructed they were heated by fossil fuels, most commonly natural gas for both space heating and water heating. With new heat pump technology it is actually cheaper to heat and cool a building with electricity – resulting in zero GHG emissions if this electricity is generated by solar or wind. Other GHG savings measures — such as LED lighting, better windows and insulation, electric ovens, induction cooktops, and better building controls – are also relatively straightforward to implement.
For new construction, it is easy to build these more efficient and cost effective solutions in. But just in the state of California it will take 50+ years for the approximately 12 million existing single family homes 3 million apartments and 700,000 commercial buildings to completely change over to these new technologies.
Unfortunately, we don’t have 50 years to make this transition – more like 10-20 years if we want to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees C. On the surface, the key barrier to making this transition is the cost for new vehicles and the cost to retrofit existing buildings. New buildings are relatively easy since building electrification is actually cheaper than space and water heating with fossil fuels.
The real building electrification barriers are the stubborn and selfish attitude of incumbent fossil fuel industries. Architects, builders and contractors are happy to install appliances powered by electricity instead of natural gas. But fossil fuel providers, including gas utilities, oppose these electrification efforts at every opportunity. Just consider the extra costs your utility adds to upgrading your electric service and removing your natural gas connection. Please Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show as we discuss solutions to removing these barriers to building electrification.