It’s getting hot in here 🔥 (because heat pumps are so effective)
Buildings emit carbon and other heat-trapping pollutants in two ways. The bulk of our buildings’ emissions come from their electricity use. But since those emissions are already counted within the power sector, they’re not what most people are referring to when they talk about CO2 from commercial and residential buildings. We have a big enough carbon accounting problem on our hands—no need to double count!
Where buildings are unique is the way they make direct use of fossil fuels, emitting 12% of all U.S. greenhouse gases. Petrofuels and natural gas hookups were neat technology when we would otherwise rely on kerosene and wood stoves, but much like the song referenced in this title, they’re becoming an anachronism. But in 2022, gas-powered furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, and stoves are still very much the norm, even in newly built homes. Over 60% of U.S. homes and a significant portion of its commercial buildings still directly employ fossil fuels for heating and cooking. From visiting people’s homes across the country, you’d never know we already have wonderful options for full building electrification.
Aside from the greenhouse gases suffocating our planet, it’s kind of crazy to think about how much we voluntarily pollute our indoor air. Homes are supposed to be sanctuaries, yet you don’t need an indoor air quality meter to tell you how much filth you’re breathing in as you cook on a gas stove. In my small rental kitchen, you can often smell it. And if your kids have asthma, your gas stove increased their risk of developing respiratory problems by 42%.
Research on heating costs and average temperatures in all 50 states by RMI and others shows that heat pumps, a modern form of electric heating, are now just as effective as fossil fuels at heating homes, even at very cold temperatures. This zero-carbon technology is also more energy-efficient, saving an average household hundreds of dollars in annual energy costs. If you’re not familiar with heat pumps, they use a compressed air system to circulate warm air, identical to a reverse air conditioner. In fact, all compressed air cooling systems can be engineered to dually function as heat pumps. Heat pumps can function as both furnaces and hot water heaters.
Technological strides in the design of electric clothes dryers and ✨chef-approved✨ induction stoves makes those appliances easy to electrify, too. The main barrier to doing so, as with heat pumps, is the extremely high up-front cost to consumers. That’s where Congress comes in. Through a combination of manufacturing tax credits and consumer rebates, Congress can dramatically scale the production of electric appliances and make people want to buy them. The Biden administration plans to start this process by placing an advance order on a certain number of heat pumps, but we need to scale even more quickly than that. Considering the long lifespan of appliances, it’ll take many, many years to replace every oil- and gas-powered appliance in America.
Luckily, we can start right now—if we have the political will to do it.