What is electrification?
Electrification refers to the process of replacing technologies that use fossil fuels (especially coal, natural gas, and oil) with technologies that use electricity as a source of energy. Depending on the resources used to generate electricity, electrification can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation, building and industrial sectors, which account for over half of all emissions in much of the world. Addressing emissions from these sectors is critical to decarbonizing the economy and, ultimately, mitigating the impacts of climate change.
So, why electrify?
Electrification replaces fossil fuels with cleaner, healthier lower-carbon electricity – and it’s one of the key ways that we can fight climate change. It’s also a way that we can cut our energy bills, especially if we combine efficient electric options such as EVs and heat pumps with rooftop solar.
Low-Cost Efficiency
Efficient Long-Lasting Bulbs: LED bulbs reduce your energy bill significantly. They use roughly 10 percent of the energy of an incandescent bulb and last 25 times longer.
Smart Thermostats Put You in Control: Turn up the dial on energy savings. Also, you can control your cooling and heating with your phone or even your voice.
Save Even More with Other Low-Cost Efficiency Measures: Many appliances use energy even when they are turned off — smart power strips help prevent these “phantom loads”. Also, simple steps like adding weather stripping or low-flow showerheads can add up to big savings.
Rooftop Solar
Save Money: Cut your energy bills and reduce the worry about future price increases.
Reduce Emissions: Solar reduces your emissions and helps establish your independence from dirty energy sources that harm the environment.
Incentives: In many areas solar systems qualify for rebates, tax credits, or other incentives.
Battery Backup
Add Resiliency to Your Home: Keep your critical devices (refrigerator, medical equipment, lighting, etc.) powered up during an outage.
Solar Assist: Paired with a rooftop solar system, you can charge the battery during the day when your solar system is generating clean energy, and then use that power during the evening hours to avoid the need for more expensive and more polluting power from the grid.
Safe & Reliable: Today’s advanced chemistry batteries are great at what they do, with many coming with a 10-year or greater warranty.
Electric Vehicle
Fun to Drive: EV drivers love the experience – instant acceleration, quiet drive and better handling!
Save on Costs: Driving an EV means lowering your fuel cost compared to gasoline/petrol (especially with a solar system) and minimal maintenance!
Cut Carbon: Up to 60% of the carbon emissions in many communities come from transportation. EVs have significantly lower emissions than a gasoline/petrol vehicle.
eBike
Reduce Emissions and Traffic: With an electric bicycle, or eBike, you can help reduce emissions and avoid traffic congestion all without breaking a sweat! The electric assist motor on the bike makes peddling a smooth, easy, and fast ride.
Many Types to Choose From: Whether used for commuting, shopping, recreation, or as your primary form of transportation, with hundreds of models on the market there is an e-Bike option that’s right for you and your budget.
Environmental Benefits: Up to 60% of emissions in many communities is related to vehicles. By using an e-Bike, even a few trips a week, you can help to reduce emissions and air pollution.
Water Heater
Highly Efficient: Heat pump water heaters are up to three times more energy efficient than conventional gas or electric resistance water heaters. There are even newer models that simply plug in to a standard 120V outlet, so no expensive electric system upgrades are needed.
Cut Energy Bills: Greater efficiency helps you save you money on your utility bills.
Environmentally Friendly: Switching to a heat pump water heater will reduce greenhouse gas emissions because of the efficiency and the cleaner electricity used to run them.
Heating & Cooling
Get Comfortably Warm & Cool: A modern heat pump system efficiently heats and cools with the same device.
Save More When Paired with Solar: When you have less-expensive electricity from rooftop solar, a heat pump can dramatically cut your costs.
Cut Carbon: Space heating is often the biggest contributor to a home’s carbon emissions, so this technology is a key carbon fighter.
Cooktop
Clean: Besides being easy to physically clean (just a swipe of the surface), switching to an induction cooktop means cooking on cleaner electricity. This can eliminate a major source of air pollution in your home, avoiding the toxic pollutants that a natural gas cooktop releases, leading to cleaner, healthier air for you and your family.
Great Speed & Control: Unlike electric stoves of the past, induction produces heat directly in the pan, leading to unparalleled precision, speed, control, and response that rivals gas stoves, taking the guesswork out of preparing your favorite meal.
Safer: Cooking with induction is one of the safest ways to cook! You are no longer exposed to a red-hot stovetop surface (or coil), or an open flame. Plus, induction cooktops don’t produce heat unless there’s cookware on the surface and many models come with auto-off settings that turns off the stove when you remove the cookware. No more wondering whether you left the stove on.
Reliable: The latest models have built-in battery backup, so you can cook an entire Thanksgiving Dinner even when the power is out! These new versions also plug directly into standard 120V outlets, so no system upgrade is required.
Clothes Dryer
Lower Energy Use & Carbon Footprint: A heat pump clothes dryer can help reduce energy use by at least 28% compared to a standard dryer.
Simple Install: Heat pump clothes dryers do not need to be vented to the outside, making installation possible in any room with an outlet and access to a water drain.
