Electric appliances can be a better option than natural gas appliances, but some number-crunching must be done to get the best deal and do what's best for the environment.
Worse than giving no advice, is giving partial advice that provides no benefit, or at worst - causes harm, and leaves the consumer worse than they were. When that happens, trust is lost.
Dual fuel heat pumps are a way to go, and certainly more efficient than gas alone. But there are added costs compared to just doing a heat pump alone, and a knowledgeable designer, installer, etc. can provide you one that will heat and cool your home with minimal use (if any) of strip heat. Particularly if you are building new. Check out John Semmelhack of Comfort Squad in Charlottesville.
Regardless of which you choose, insist on equipment with electrically commuted motors. Consider dual stage or variable speed equipment. Minisplits, either ducted or unducted. The performance factors are outrageously good. A Trane/Mitsubishi minisplit can give up to 33.1 SEER2 and 13.5 HSPF2. Those are amazing numbers. From two high quality manufacturers who have both have had a long commitment to excellence. And no, unless you are hands-on engineer with experience, don't try to install it yourself. Pay the man. It's worth it.
Again, the most concerning part of this post is the easy endorsement of heat pump hot water heaters. They can work, but there are many caveats. There was a rush into the field when they first came out 10 years ago, there has been an equal rush away from them since. There are serious and valid comfort issues related to their use due to their space needs, noise, and affect on surrounding air temperatures and humidity. If not considered, the end result is someone paying for a very expensive standard water heater as the end user turns the heat pump off rather than deal with it.
Spot on about the induction cookers, as well as the need for ventilation with gas stoves and the concerns regarding off-gassing from any gas appliance in the home that is not direct vented/power vented. But there is a need for ventilation when cooking for any cooking in the home, that is worth emphasizing as well. It doesn't end with a transition to an induction stove.
The heat pump dryers, like the water heaters - can work - but many of the same concerns apply.
And again, if looking strategically - it's not as cut and dry as proffered here. There are transition losses with electricity created elsewhere than the home that are significant. And we, as a region, state, nation, world have not worked out nor invested sufficiently in how we store electricity, transmit it, nor create it.
Yes, coal is bad, gas is better, nuclear is possible, and solar/wind is here.
But we haven't figured out how to store solar. California is cutting back on rebates to homeowners because the solar is being produced when not needed, and not being produced when it is.
We just had an earthquake 5 miles away from our local nuclear power plant caused by a previously unknown fault that could have dropped radiation on every child in the greater Fburg region if the wind was coming from the SW, as it often does. We want more of that? Are you sure? Really?
Using a fuel that needs to be kept safe for 10000 years. More than twice as long as current recorded history. With a nuclear plant in Ukraine being held hostage, Fukishima, Chernobyl, and 3 Mile Island all happening in my life time, while wars are fought between nuclear powered nations.
And more of that makes us safer? Sort of like how having more guns in more people's hands without caution has made us safer?
No.
Our energy strategies need to be well thought out. It is a continual balancing act. With constant feedback based upon results. An honest capitalistic system. Market based.
Again, some great ideas, some that can work, but use caution with all if you want to maintain trust. There is no panacea. And all strategies have both benefits and costs.
Thank you for this, but be careful with this.
Worse than giving no advice, is giving partial advice that provides no benefit, or at worst - causes harm, and leaves the consumer worse than they were. When that happens, trust is lost.
Dual fuel heat pumps are a way to go, and certainly more efficient than gas alone. But there are added costs compared to just doing a heat pump alone, and a knowledgeable designer, installer, etc. can provide you one that will heat and cool your home with minimal use (if any) of strip heat. Particularly if you are building new. Check out John Semmelhack of Comfort Squad in Charlottesville.
Regardless of which you choose, insist on equipment with electrically commuted motors. Consider dual stage or variable speed equipment. Minisplits, either ducted or unducted. The performance factors are outrageously good. A Trane/Mitsubishi minisplit can give up to 33.1 SEER2 and 13.5 HSPF2. Those are amazing numbers. From two high quality manufacturers who have both have had a long commitment to excellence. And no, unless you are hands-on engineer with experience, don't try to install it yourself. Pay the man. It's worth it.
Again, the most concerning part of this post is the easy endorsement of heat pump hot water heaters. They can work, but there are many caveats. There was a rush into the field when they first came out 10 years ago, there has been an equal rush away from them since. There are serious and valid comfort issues related to their use due to their space needs, noise, and affect on surrounding air temperatures and humidity. If not considered, the end result is someone paying for a very expensive standard water heater as the end user turns the heat pump off rather than deal with it.
Spot on about the induction cookers, as well as the need for ventilation with gas stoves and the concerns regarding off-gassing from any gas appliance in the home that is not direct vented/power vented. But there is a need for ventilation when cooking for any cooking in the home, that is worth emphasizing as well. It doesn't end with a transition to an induction stove.
The heat pump dryers, like the water heaters - can work - but many of the same concerns apply.
And again, if looking strategically - it's not as cut and dry as proffered here. There are transition losses with electricity created elsewhere than the home that are significant. And we, as a region, state, nation, world have not worked out nor invested sufficiently in how we store electricity, transmit it, nor create it.
Yes, coal is bad, gas is better, nuclear is possible, and solar/wind is here.
But we haven't figured out how to store solar. California is cutting back on rebates to homeowners because the solar is being produced when not needed, and not being produced when it is.
We just had an earthquake 5 miles away from our local nuclear power plant caused by a previously unknown fault that could have dropped radiation on every child in the greater Fburg region if the wind was coming from the SW, as it often does. We want more of that? Are you sure? Really?
Using a fuel that needs to be kept safe for 10000 years. More than twice as long as current recorded history. With a nuclear plant in Ukraine being held hostage, Fukishima, Chernobyl, and 3 Mile Island all happening in my life time, while wars are fought between nuclear powered nations.
And more of that makes us safer? Sort of like how having more guns in more people's hands without caution has made us safer?
No.
Our energy strategies need to be well thought out. It is a continual balancing act. With constant feedback based upon results. An honest capitalistic system. Market based.
Again, some great ideas, some that can work, but use caution with all if you want to maintain trust. There is no panacea. And all strategies have both benefits and costs.
Still, thanks again for raising the points.