What is ‘building electrification’?

You may have noticed that things are going electric. From cars to stove tops, our society is becoming ever more electrified.

Switching our appliances and vehicles to ones that run off of electricity is key to reducing our use of fossil fuels. Heating that uses natural gas or propane and cars that use gasoline emit greenhouse gasses, which contribute to climate change. Pollutants from combustion of fossil fuels also negatively impacts human health. A recent study by Stanford researchers found that natural gas stoves leak methane even when they are turned off, further highlighting the benefits of electric appliances from a climate and human health standpoint.

Building electrification means using electricity to heat our homes and cook our food instead of using fossil fuels like natural gas and propane. Benefits of building electrification include:

• improved indoor air quality and so better health

• reduced utility bills

• reduced greenhouse gas emissions

What is a heat pump?

A heat pump is an energy efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners, and can be used to heat or cool your home. It is powered by electricity instead of natural gas or propane, and it looks similar to a normal air conditioning unit. Even though many people are unfamiliar with heat pumps, the technology has been around since the 1940’s.

Because heat pumps move heat instead of generating it, they are very efficient. Heat pumps use as little as one quarter (25%) of the energy compared to traditional heating or cooling appliances.

How does a heat pump work?

A heat pump uses electricity to pump a refrigerant fluid to transfer heat from one place to another, similar to how your refrigerator works, but in the opposite direction when heating. A heat pump can heat OR cool your home. It heats your home in the winter by moving heat from outdoors to indoors, and cools your home in the summer by moving heat from indoors to outdoors.

Here is how a heat pump operates in the heating mode from the University of Calgary Energy Education website:

‘The heating cycle of a heat pump works by taking heat in from air outside, warming it up further, and using this warm air to heat indoor air. It does so by the following process:

1. Liquid refrigerant absorbs heat in the "evaporator" from the outdoor air, turning into a gas.

2. The refrigerant is put through a "compressor", which raises the pressure of the gas, increasing its temperature.

3. The hot gas flows through "condenser coils" inside the space to be heated, and since it is at a higher temperature than this space, it transfers heat to the room and condenses back into a liquid.

4. The liquid finally flows back through a valve that reduces its pressure in order to cool it down so it can repeat the cycle.’

To cool a room instead of heating it, the system simply runs in reverse and transfers heat from inside and expels it to the outside. The “evaporator” and “condenser coils” switch roles and the flow of refrigerant is reversed.

Benefits of switching to a heat pump

There are many benefits to switching to electric heat pumps, which include:

• Improved indoor air quality - homes with gas powered appliances have higher levels of indoor pollutants, which impact respiratory health. Homes with fully electric appliances have less air pollutants compared to those with gas powered appliances.

• They save energy - heat pumps use as little as one quarter (25%) of the energy compared to traditional heating appliances. Also, one heat pump can heat AND cool your home, so no need for two separate systems which is particularly good for tight spaces and budgets.

• They reduce greenhouse gas emissions - electrifying our homes is an important way to reach local emissions targets, as well as protect the planet for future generations.

• They work great in many climates - even if you’re in a colder region, there are cold-climate heat pumps with proven effectiveness at freezing temperatures.

Rebates

Rebates and tax credits can greatly help with the upfront costs associated with Installing a heat pump. Depending on where you live, you could be eligible for thousands in state rebates per heat pump installation! Rebate amounts and eligibility will vary from state to state, so look up your state’s resources for more information on what you are eligible for.

You can also save up to $3200 per year through federal tax credits for energy efficient upgrades, including heat pump installations.

Video about heat pumps

For those who want to know more about what a heat pump is, how it works, and their limitations, check out this great YouTube video Heat Pumps: the Future of Home Heating by Technology Connections