4 - House | Boycott Pollution

4. Electrify the house

While reading about "the house", keep in mind that millions of Americans don't own a house, and that

single family homes in sprawling suburbs produce

much more pollution than dense urban housing.

And that some people can't afford to own or rent.

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If you "electrify" your house, you'll pay less in bills, improve the value of your home, and help your family's health.

That means replacing methane-gas-burning stoves, ovens, water-heaters, furnaces, and clothes dryers with electric ones

… of course wind-powered/solar-drying clotheslines, plus the clothespins, also work well.

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Answers to “electric house” questions are in this thorough guide from Redwood Energy:

A Pocket Guide to All-Electric Retrofits of Single-Family Homes,

or (less extensive) take a look at the Green Building Advisor site.

For a list of prices, products, etc., visit

the Costs, Rebates & Contractors page!

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By "using natural [methane] gas to heat our homes and water, and to cook our food ...

we are exposing our children to harmful nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide.”

Such indoor pollution is "linked to asthma, respiratory issues, and … cognitive and neurological effects."

For electric COOKING, induction cooktops are becoming more popular, and the portable ones (see photo) are inexpensive.

Because of the electro-magnetic heating, these stovetops require magnetic pots and pans. Touch a magnet to your pan/pot to be sure.

Microwaves are electric of course, and toaster ovens don’t cost much.

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An electric tankless WATER HEATER takes up much less room than a traditional hot water tank (see photo), and they usually last longer and have lower operating and energy costs.

Even better, electric HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS (HPWH) use less electricity than tankless ones. We didn't have enough room for a HPWH. If your place has more space than ours, please review the benefits of a HPWH - such as saving money.

And don't wait for your current water heater to break down! You may be coerced into getting a gas-burning replacement - since that might be quickest way to get hot water running again.

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Warning: please see Solution #7 regarding heat pumps, refrigerators, air-conditioners, and freezers.

Refrigerant chemicals effect the atmosphere. Dispose of properly when the unit is being retired!

heat pump

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Regarding the household HEATING, VENTILATION AND COOLING (HVAC) system:

when our gas-burning furnace met its demise,

we looked for an air source electric heat pump

(not the same as a hot water heat pump).

Trane, a company that makes (HVAC) heat pumps, has a good introductory explanation of its product:

"greenhouse gas savings come from eliminating on-site combustion of natural [methane] gas".

To be clear, a whole-house heat pump works BOTH as an air conditioner AND as a heating system:

by using a mechanism like in a fridge - for the AC - and by using a reverse refrigerator process - to generate heat.

More than one contractor told us of ways to supplement the (HVAC) air-source heat pump when it's extra cold outside.

This has worked out well, and the AC component has also performed as advertised. But we live in California, not Minnesota or Manitoba. Ground source heat-pumps can be used there - attached to components under the ground.

In between those extremes, people can use "cold-climate" (or "low ambient") heat pumps. Costs and rebates vary.

As with whole-house AC units, they make noise. Have a long talk with the installer about where to place the thing.

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More INSULATION is usually a great idea, including caulking around windows & doors.

You can insulate using a DIY advice site:

insulate-home-cheap.

Or a professional insulation installer can provide materials made from recycled boxes and newspapers, old blue-jeans, or recycled bottles.

For ideas about house energy assessments see: Home Energy Efficiency, or whole house audits.

For costs of audits/insulation: Costs, Rebates.

And with extra money, install efficient windows!

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HOME FILTERS:

Regarding home pollutant filters, two helpful products are water purifiers and air purifiers. If you

don't have one yet, read these reviews. The filters should be changed once a year.

filters

CIRCUIT BREAKER BOX / WIRING

Because of the solar panel installation, or the new electrical items, you might need to get an electrical panel upgrade

(expansion of the main circuit breaker),

or have your home wired for 220/240v.

It’ll entail hiring an electrician, which isn’t inexpensive, and getting your utility to agree, which may go smoothly.

With persistence, however, you should end up with a 21st century household electrical system - including code inspection - which'll be better for family safety, real estate value, etc.

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During certain times of day (TIME OF USE) the electrical grid is dirtier. Reserve "peaker" power-plants start up only when there's extra demand, and these peaker plants pollute much more than your usual source of electricity.

In places with plenty of solar panels, the middle of the day is when you get the cleanest mix. Hot weekday evenings are the worst - due to increased air conditioning use while the sun is setting.

If possible, "Power Down from 4 to 9" (M - F).

Some states have more wind, nuclear, battery-storage, or hydro-power. Contact your local utility to find out the best time for discretionary electricity usage.

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Finally, green/clean electricity is available - in many locations - for a similar price as you pay now.

To get this, sign up for a COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION (CCA) program.

It's a good thing, but, unlike with your own rooftop solar system, your house won't receive all of its electricity from non-polluting sources.

CCA's

With CCA’s, electricity produced by a renewable source will become part of multi-sourced electricity sent through the power-line (grid) transmission system.

The current mix of electricity generated in the USA is approximately: 13% from coal, 40% from methane gas, 20% nuclear, 10% solar, 10% wind, and 7% from hydro.

When you sign up with a CCA, it's like voting for renewable sources. Also like voting, you'll make a bigger difference if you encourage your neighbors to sign up also!

Not all localities have CCA programs, so do a search. To find a CCA in California, go to: cca-impact, and scroll down to your region. For other states visit: cca-by-state, and then scroll down to your state. If everyone were to do this, all electricity would be from green/clean sources, so please tell everyone.

To better understand CCAs (Community Choice Aggregations) see: cal-cca.org/faqs

CCAs provide "green power and climate protection ... while reducing power bills."

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