As the planet heats up, many of us are increasingly aware that as a society we need to move away from “burning stuff” to provide heat, light, and other conveniences. Burning fossil fuels, including natural gas, will never be renewable or low carbon.

We need to move instead to renewable forms of energy, particularly electric energy. While the grid is not fully renewable at this time, it is getting better and is the only path toward a more fully renewable power supply. As the grid continues to get greener and greener, the appliances and systems in your house will need to get greener as well.

Caddis Collaborative has been designing all-electric multifamily and single-family homes for over a decade. We encourage all of our clients to go all electric, and we’re seeing great success with the transition to no-carbon homes.

We have found that there are many benefits to going electric:
• Electric appliances can be powered by off-site or on-site renewables.
• Indoor air quality is better, contributing to better health for your family.
• Energy efficiency is higher with electric equipment – and big improvements over the last few decades mean that the efficiency of this equipment is getting better all the time, too.
• The cost of operating electric equipment is reduced, meaning lower utility monthly bills. According to Helio Home, the operating cost of an electric home is around $19,000 less over a 20-year period.
• Going electric provides greater energy independence.
• Innovations in the field are happening on the electric side, not with gas equipment. When you choose electric, you are future-proofing your home.
• Choosing electric equipment now gives you the chance to prepare for a grid that is getting cleaner and greener all the time.
• Public policy is heading in this direction as well. For example, here in Colorado, we’re seeing a number of municipalities and counties requiring all-electric equipment in new builds.

For these and other reasons, electric appliances and whole-house systems (such as HVAC) are the preferred choice for new construction and for environmentally friendly retrofits.

Whether you are building a new house or retrofitting an existing house, consider electrifying the following:

• LED lighting
• Induction cooking
• Heat pump domestic hot water (DHW)
• Heat pump heating and cooling systems
• Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) – also known as a charging station
• Photovoltaic cells – also known as solar panels

Here are some great resources to help you get started:

• Rewiring America is a great project that makes it easy to understand and implement home electrification. Check out their Electrify Everything handout. This is an especially useful guide for new construction.
• If you want to retrofit your existing home, take a look at Redwood Energy’s “Guide to All-Electric Retrofits of Single-Family Homes.” If you want to access more of Redwood Energy’s research (including ideas for electrifying multifamily housing developments), visit their research page.
• When you’re ready to make purchases, check out CarbonSwitch.com’s guides to and reviews of water heaters, lighting, heating and cooling, insulation, and stoves.
• If you are in Colorado and don’t want to do this yourself, check out Helio Home. They will work with you to simplify the process of switching from gas equipment to all electric.

Homeowners who make these changes in their homes are part of a just energy transition. The choices individual homeowners make will have a broad impact. Ditch the carbon – go electric! Be part of the change the world needs now.

Above:  The diagram above illustrates the opportunities for electrification throughout your home.