A whole home guide to going all electric.
We couldn’t find a guide to electrifying a suburban home, so we built one.
8 actions to gain energy independence.
Buy an EV, its a better way to travel.
Install a home EV charger, end range anxiety.
Induction stoves mean clean indoor air.
Heat pump water heaters pay off in the first year.
Solar shingles look great and mean max power.
Home batteries unlock a $0 utility bill.
Heat pump HVACs mean comfort year round.
Smart thermostats + LEDs save money instantly.
Why we did this:
In November of 2020, with a child on the way, we bought what I hope will be our forever house. For the previous 16 years I rented and was car-free, so never felt like I could make a dent in global warming. I hate feeling helpless and believe imperfect action trumps no action at all, so I started trying. Now a year later, I’ve converted my home to sustainable electric. This guide is meant to help you do the same. I chose progress over perfection, so “results may vary” as they say, but all my steps and product choices are below with $/$$/$$$ and simple/complex ratings. I hope you find it useful! - Rick Davis, Lastbulb Founder
Why should you do this?
My altruistic motivation was to reduce carbon emissions for a better future. My practical motivation was to lower energy costs and generate an investment return.
I won’t turn this into a debate about IF we need to get off fossil fuels. The scientific community has done a great job proving we DO.
I will however, touch on one common comment I heard from fellow home owners. People seem to think their home consumption only makes up 6% of the total emissions problem. This is likely because the EPA paints that picture as seen in the black numbers on the graphic below. The EPA’s 6% home emissions are from burning fossil fuels at your home only.
On top of the 6%:
21% of electricity generation emissions are from powering our homes.
58% of transportation emissions are light duty vehicles, i.e. the cars we drive to our homes.
*Original EPA diagram is in black, my back of envelope math is purple. This roughly illustrates the impact potential of electrification.
Reduction assumptions based on 100% electrification in US. Sources: EPA estimates for CO2 emission sources: EPA 2019, Government estimate for residential energy use: Energy.gov
If we electrify all homes and cars, while producing enough clean energy to power them, we cut over 1/4 of all emissions. Rooftop solar is a good solution for single family dwellings in most places. Utility scale solar / wind / hydro / nuclear are good solutions for densely populated or sun restricted places.