Electric home tour 2024
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Learn More about EV Ownership
5 Easy Steps to Make the Switch!
Tax Deductions and Benefits
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The benefits according to Rewiring America’s Guide to the Inflation Reduction Act:
- Savings: A national transition to solar-powered, fully electrified homes and vehicles could save the average household between $1,050 and $2,585 per year in energy costs. (https://www.rewiringamerica.org/research/home-electrification-cost-estimates)
- Health: Burning fossil fuels indoor is a major source of health problems like childhood asthma
- Climate: Burning fossil fuels burning in buildings is a major source of climate warming: 42 percent of energy-related emissions come from the homes and vehicles. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and is from 25 - 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere
- Comfort: Heat pumps, which can both heat and cool your home, do a better job of keeping your home at a constant, comfortable temperature than an oil or natural gas furnace— while using only 30% of the energy to do so.
- When you’re planning a major remodel
- When you’re adding new air-conditioning, or replacing an existing air-conditioner
- When appliances are nearing their end of life
- Today — so you can start reaping the benefits of electric appliances!
Check the age of your appliances and plan to replace them before they fail and become an emergency. Rewiring America provides the following average life span estimates for major household appliances:
- Water heaters (8 - 12 years)
- Space heaters (15 - 30+ years)
- Dryers (10 - 13 years)
- Ovens/cooktops (13 - 15 years)
The Inflation Reduction Act and Savings
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a federal investment package that directs roughly $370 billion in clean energy and initiatives to fight climate change. It makes use of both tax credits and rebates. Part of this funding goes directly to residents to help them go all-electric at home and with their vehicles.
- How much will I save?
The Rewiring America Savings Calculator estimates federal tax savings available through the IRA. - Savings from the IRA can be “stacked” with state and local rebates. See Other Rebate Programs below.
- The Cheat Sheet on the IRA
Starting with tax year 2023, IRA tax credits for electrification and energy efficiency upgrades:
- Applied to your annual federal taxes (only up to the amount of tax you owe)
- Energy efficiency home improvement — 30% tax credit
- Up to $2,000 per year for heat pump space and water heaters (can stagger heat pump replacement over more than one tax year if replacing more than one)
- Up to $1,200 per year for other upgrades
- The allowable federal tax credit resets every year.
- Solar and battery storage 30% tax credit
- Electric vehicle tax credit for new and used EVs
In 2024, the IRA started offering households up to $14,000 in up-front/point of sale discounts to switch to electric appliances — covering up to 100 percent of project costs for low-income households and up to 50 percent of project costs for moderate-income households.
- This Consumer Guide to the Inflation Reduction Act provides a helpful overview.
Other Rebate Programs
Federal tax savings and rebates can be combined with state and local rebates, including rebates through your electricity provider, such as Community Choice Aggregators (CCA), Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU), Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE), San Jose Clean Energy (SJCE), and other entities:
- Your CCA or Utility may have rebate and loan programs:
- Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is the CCA electricity provider for 13 Silicon Valley communities. SVCE generates 100% clean electricity for homes and businesses, delivered via PG&E power lines.
- Electric Home Rebates
- FAQ’s
- Flyers from the Home Tour
- Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) is the CCA electricity provider serving San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos. PCE generates 100% clean electricity for homes and businesses, delivered via PG&E power lines. PCE is on track to be 100% renewable by 2025.
- Electric Rebates
- Zero interest loans (up to $10,000) — no money down and no credit check required
- FAQ’s including opting into ECOplus and ECO100
- City of Palo Alto (CPAU) — The City of Palo Alto has multiple rebate programs, including a full-service electric heat pump water heater program (and rebate option) explained here.
- Flyers from the home tour:
- Silicon Valley Power (SVP) - SVP supports the City of Santa Clara with multiple rebate options, including for induction cooking, heat pump water heater, and an income qualifying solar program.
- San Jose Clean Energy (SJCE) - SJCE is the CCA electricity provider serving the City of San Jose. Check out their San Jose Home Appliance Savings Program here.
- Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is the CCA electricity provider for 13 Silicon Valley communities. SVCE generates 100% clean electricity for homes and businesses, delivered via PG&E power lines.
Not sure which CCA you're a part of? Check out the Cal CCA Map here.
A heat pump is a single appliance that will both heat and cool your home by moving (pumping) heat from one place to another, like a refrigerator moves heat out of the refrigerator.
• According to this Department of Energy resource on heat pump technology, heat pumps are over three times more efficient than highly efficient furnaces.
• Watch this 8-minute episode of This Old House, for an explanation of heat pump technology.
• This fact sheet from Amana explains how a heat pump system works.
Heat pump water heaters work by moving (pumping) heat from the air outside of the tank to heat the water, like a refrigerator moves heat out of the refrigerator.
- Learn “When Should You Replace Your Water Heater?” from this Energy Star article.
- Do heat pump water heaters work in cold climates? — Today’s heat pump water heaters work efficiently in cold climates to temperatures as low as -25°F, according to Energy Star.
- Introduction to Heat Pump Water Heaters (video). This video is by City of Palo Alto Utilities.
- Heat Pump Water Heater: A Key Step to Electrify the Home (video of the workshop). This video is by Acterra featuring the guest speaker Wei-Tai Kwok, a renewable energy expert and co-founder of the Climate Reality Bay Area Chapter.
Induction cooktops use magnetic energy to heat your cookware. They are powerful, precise, and easy to clean and produce zero emissions. Induction cooktops remain cool to the touch, so they are safer than gas, and generate much less heat in your kitchen.
- Induction Myths Explained video by Designer Appliances demonstrates and explains induction cooking.
- It's Time to Break Up with Our Gas Stoves is a humorous video by comedian Rollie Williams and Climate Town.
- Are gas stoves dangerous? Read “The Health Risks of Gas Stoves Explained” by Scientific American
- Induction Cooking Classes – a series of workshops from Acterra featuring professional chefs who demonstrate how to cook using an induction cooktop.
Test-drive an induction cooktop from these sources:
- PG&E Induction Cooktop Loaner Program - PG&E customers can borrow an induction cooker and test-drive it for a two weeks.
- Watch this 1 minute video about the PG&E loaner program and the benefits of induction cooking.
- Enroll and sign up for this 34 minute On Demand PG&E Induction Cooking Tutorial.
- Acterra Induction Cooktop Loaner Program: Peninsula residents can borrow portable induction cooktops for free for up to three weeks.
According to Energy Star, heat pump clothes dryers have many advantages over standard dryers.
- Easy to install since they don't require ventilation.
- Can reduce energy use by at least 28% compared to standard dryers.
- Are gentler on clothes because they dry laundry at low temperatures.
- Electrify on a 100-Amp Panel (video). Energy expert, Tom Kabat explains in a concise presentation how (and why) you can avoid costly electrical panel upgrades through smart planning while leaving ample room for EV charging. This video also covers appliance selection and circuit-sharing devices. (15 minutes, East Bay Green Home Tour, 2022)
- Techniques for Living Large on an Existing Electrical Panel (video). Energy engineer Tom Kabat provides a more in-depth technical presentation on how to fit all the appliances you need on an existing electrical panel (100 amps or smaller) and avoid costly upsizing. He presents insights into selection of appliances and circuit sharing devices. Dylan Anderson, with Redwood Energy, presents case studies covering appliance selection and techniques to avoid panel upsizing. (30 minutes, Redwood Energy)
- Redwood Energy Watt-Diet Calculator (article). Redwood energy outlines helpful graphics on how to electrify your home without upsizing your electric panel. It outlines plans for homes of all different square footage. Included is a 'Watt Diet Calculator' that you're able to download. The calculator uses a building’s characteristics and location to help size a heating product for the given home. It then calculates total power use of the home, according to methods proscribed in the National Electrical Code (NEC), and based user-defined device specifications.
The resources provided below are intended to support and guide you on your journey toward electrification. However, the Electric Home Tour does not endorse any specific equipment, advice, business entity, or other information mentioned.
The following companies have different funding sources, and we encourage you to do your own research. They maintain lists of electrification contractors (and may require working within their network to obtain rebates).
- EmeraldECO (Bay Area) - To reach out for more installation information, please fill out this form which will connect you directly to EmeralECO.
- Switch Is On (California)
- QuitCarbon (National)
- Home Intel/ Home Energy Analytics (free for PG&E customers)
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