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The Latest reportsAccording to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, nations must take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid catastrophic losses and damage. The good news is that experts believe it’s possible to Global greenhouse gas emissions can be cut in half by 2030Using energy more efficiently, slowing down deforestation, and increasing the adoption of renewable energy are some of the steps you can take.
Many of those strategies require new laws, regulations or funding to move forward at the speed and scale that’s needed. But one strategy that’s increasingly feasible for many consumers is powering their homes and devices with electricity from clean sources. These four articles explain why electrifying your home is important for climate change and how consumers can get going.
1. Why go electric?
In 2020, home energy consumption was accounted for About one-sixth percent of the total U.S. Energy Consumption is renewable. Nearly half (47%) of this energy was generated by electricity. Natural gas (42%), oil (8%), and renewable energy (7%) were close behind. The largest home energy consumption is for Heating and air conditioningNext, lighting, refrigerators, and other appliances.
The best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from home-generated energy consumption is to replace electricity generated from low- or no-carbon sources with oil and natural gas. The power sector is quickly moving in this direction: According to a report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, power producers have witnessed a rapid increase in their power production. They have reduced their carbon emissions by halfFrom what energy experts predicted for 2005.
“This drop happened thanks to policy, market and technology drivers,” a team of Lawrence Berkeley lab analysts concluded. Because wind and solar power have increased their efficiency and reduced their costs, utilities are now using more of them. Cheap natural gas has replaced dirty coal generation. Public policies have encouraged the use energy-efficient technologies such as LED light bulbs. These trends combine to make electric power a more climate-friendly choice.
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The US electric power sector is close to zero carbon emissions
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, CC BY -ND
2. Heat pumps for hot and cold days
Since heating and cooling use so much energy, switching from an oil- or gas-powered furnace to a heat pump can greatly reduce a home’s carbon footprint. As a University of Dayton sustainability expert Robert BrechaAccording to the explanation, heat pumps move heat into and out of buildings rather than burning fossil fuel.
“Extremely cold fluid circulates through coils of tubing in the heat pump’s outdoor unit,” Brecha writes. “That fluid absorbs energy in the form of heat from the surrounding air, which is warmer than the fluid. The fluid is vaporized and circulated into a compressor. Compressing any gas Heat it upThis heats up the building. Then the vapor moves through coils of tubing in the indoor unit of the heat pump, heating the building.”
In summer, heat pumps reverse the process: They take energy from indoors, and move it outdoors, just like a fridge removes heat from the place where it stores food, and expels it into the room where it sits.
A geothermal heat pumps is another option. It collects heat from the earth and uses the exact same process as air source heat to move it into buildings. These systems are more expensive because they require excavation to bury the tubing below the ground. However, they also reduce electricity consumption.
Continue reading:
Electric heat pumps use much less energy than furnaces, and can cool houses too – here’s how they work
3. Cooking without gas – or heat
The biggest obstacle to going electric for people who enjoy cooking is the possibility of using an electrical stove. Many home chefs prefer gas flames to electric burners because they are more responsive and precise.
Magnetic induction, which cooks food using a magnetic field that is generated under the pot, eliminates need to heat up a stove.
“Instead of conventional burners, the cooking spots on induction cooktops are called hobs, and consist of wire coils embedded in the cooktop’s surface,” writes Binghamton University electrical engineering professor Kenneth McLeod.
An electric charge is created by moving through the wires. This creates a magnetic field that in turn creates an electrical field in the bottom. “Because of resistance, the pan will heat up, even though the hob does not,” McLeod explains.
Induction cooktops heat and cool quickly and can be controlled to a precise temperature. They also are easy to clean, since they are made of glass, and safer than electric stoves since the hobs don’t stay hot when pans are lifted off them. Many utilities offer rebates to offset the higher cost of induction stovetops.
Read more:
Magnetic induction cooking can reduce your kitchen’s carbon footprint
4. Backup power sources for electric cars
Residents are now more vulnerable to power outages because of electrifying systems such as home heating and cooking. Soon, however a new backup system may be available: powering your house from your electric car.
Electric cars and light trucks are attracting a lot of interest Rising in the U.S.Automakers are introducing many new EV designs and models. Some of these new vehicles will offer Bidirectional charging – the ability to charge a car battery at home, then move that power back into the house, and eventually, into the grid.
[Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.]This capacity is only available in a few models, and it can cost several thousand dollars more to purchase. But Penn State energy expert Seth Blumsacksees This emerging technology has great potential for value.
“Enabling homeowners to use their vehicles as backup when the power goes down would reduce the social impacts of large-scale blackouts. It also would give utilities more time to restore service – especially when there is substantial damage to power poles and wires,” Blumsack explains. “Bidirectional charging is also an integral part of a broader vision for a next-generation electric grid in which millions of EVs are constantly taking power from the grid and giving it back – a key element of an electrified future.”
Continue reading:
Can my electric car run my house? For most drivers, no. But vehicle-to home charging is coming.
Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.
