Limited options: Many in the HVAC industry are skeptical of the electrification movement, noting that it could limit options for consumers and contractors.(Photo by Michael Schwarzenberg on Pixabay)
In the U.S. and around the world, there is a growing movement to transition from fossil fuel-based appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters, and ovens, to the use of electrical appliances to meet end-user needs.While proponents claim electrification is necessary to reduce global warming, critics say it limits consumer choice and that some electric technologies may not be as effective or reliable as fossil fuel technologies.
Then there’s the question of cost.Replacing gas appliances with electric alternatives is expensive not only for the appliances themselves, but also for the electrical panels and other infrastructure upgrades that many customers require.In fact, one study estimates that the initial cost of electrifying the entire United States will be between $18 trillion and $29 trillion.
But consumers may not have many options, as more and more parts of the country are banning the use of natural gas to meet their decarbonization goals.The federal government has also exerted pressure, as seen in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to no longer recognize high-efficiency furnaces or boilers in its Energy Star program.Starting this year, the only HVAC products the EPA will recognize in its “Most Efficient” category are air source heat pumps and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps, and room air conditioners.
Many in the HVAC industry are skeptical of the electrification movement, noting that it could limit options for consumers and contractors, who should be able to choose and obtain whatever fuel source makes the most sense from a business perspective.
“We support the choice of consumers and businesses to make the best financial decisions for their homes, companies and energy goals,” said Chris Czarnecki, ACCA’s manager of government relations. “We find the push for electrification is only disturbing because it The energy needs of all Americans will almost certainly not be met—especially those in areas that rely heavily on natural gas. Eliminating natural gas use could be costly for businesses and consumers. Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) It is estimated that the city’s proposed ban on natural gas connections would cost each household approximately $25,600.”
Czarnecki noted that ACCA supports legislative efforts to protect fuel choices for businesses and consumers, including Ohio’s HB 201, which was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine last July.The act prevents local governments from restricting the use of natural gas and propane and ensures that individuals have access to distribution services or retail natural gas services.”This law is part of a broader, ongoing effort by several states to protect access to natural gas in response to local governments across the country that restrict or even ban access to natural gas,” he said.
Joel Long, CEO and President of the Commercial Division of GSM Services in Gastonia, North Carolina, and President of the PHCC-National Association, is also very concerned about the electrification that is being driven across the country.
“It doesn’t make sense for most contractors because we’ve built the industry to a large extent on giving our customers options,” he said.“Choice and competition have led to lower prices and better choices for consumers, especially those in low-income housing and the middle class. The political push to stop using natural gas in such a quick time will have consequences for our economy Far-reaching negative effects. Sure, I can say that contractors can adapt to the move to all-electric, but most of our contractors want to be good stewards of our communities, and this swift political push seems unscientific and not built on economics on reasonable data.”
In fact, the data may be problematic, as analysis suggests that electric alternatives such as heat pumps may not deliver the efficiencies promised under certain conditions.During an educational session at the AHR Expo in Las Vegas, Ben Lipscomb, director of the National Comfort Institute’s (NCI) Engineering and Utilities Program, identified some of the challenges that electrification will bring, especially those associated with them.The use of heat pumps is increasing.
Lipscomb is a fan of heat pumps and believes they are the future of heating most homes in America.That’s because they emit fewer greenhouse gases than any fossil-fuel equivalent, and that’s only going to improve over time as the grid transitions to more renewable energy.Under the right circumstances, they can also save consumers money, he said.If they are carefully designed and selected for the conditions in which they will operate, and the type of backup heat is carefully chosen and applied judiciously.
“On a per Btu dollar basis, electricity costs a lot more than natural gas, and really the efficiency of the heat pump, which is 300 to 400 percent efficient, it can start to have those two heat sources competing against each other,” he said.“But heat pumps are often marketed as a way to save a lot of money, and I have some doubts about that. That’s because a lot of the time it’s compared to more expensive fuels like propane or fuel oil, or to electrical resistance, and the marketing The industry doesn’t say this up front. You have to read the fine print.”
So Lipscomb did just that, running an analysis comparing the cost of heat pumps and furnaces (in dollars per Btu) to today’s pricing.Using each state’s average electricity and gas rates, and adjusting the efficiency of heat pumps based on ASHRAE’s climatic design conditions for each state’s most populous cities, he determined the cost of using a heat pump to heat a home compared to a furnace.
He found that when comparing an 8.2 HSPF heat pump to a 90% AFUE furnace, customers in most states end up spending more to heat their homes with a heat pump (see Figure 1).Only in a few states, such as Florida, Hawaii and Arizona, will consumers have a much lower cost of using a heat pump.Comparing a 14 HSPF heat pump to a 98% AFUE furnace, the heat pump situation improved, but much of the Midwest would still pay more for a heat pump (see Figure 2).
Figure 1: When comparing an 8.2 HSPF heat pump to a 90% AFUE furnace, customers in red states will end up spending more to heat their home with a heat pump.(Courtesy of Ben Lipscomb, NCI)
Figure 2: If a 14 HSPF heat pump is compared to a 98% AFUE furnace, much of the Midwest would still pay more for a heat pump.(Courtesy of Ben Lipscomb, NCI)
“Heat pumps really save money everywhere compared to electrical resistance, fuel oil, and propane, so there’s some truth in these marketing articles,” Lipscomb said (see Figure 3).”But that’s a far cry from claiming customers can save money with a heat pump, because the truth is, it depends.”
Figure 3: Compared to electrical resistance, fuel oil, and propane, heat pumps really save money everywhere.(Courtesy of Ben Lipscomb, NCI)
Heat pump performance is another consideration, as the environment in which a heat pump is installed is much larger than that where a furnace is used.To illustrate this, Lipscomb provides a common scenario of a heating-dominated climate with a design temperature of 15°F.In this example, the home has a 48,000 Btuh furnace with a 3 ton blower that provides approximately 1,300 cfm of heat to the space in heating mode and approximately 1,200 cfm of heat in cooling mode.The 16-inch round metal air duct looks nice.
“Let’s see what happens when you replace that furnace with a heat pump,” Lipscomb said.“Since it’s a 48,000 Btuh furnace, most people will replace it with a 4-ton heat pump. The heat pump is rated at 47°F, so at 47°F it’s rated to supply 48,000 Btuh. With As it gets colder outside and the difference between inside and outside becomes smaller, the capacity of the heat pump goes down. At design temperature, it can only provide about 25,000 Btuh of heat — or a little more than half the amount of heat the house needs.”
Additionally, the 4-ton heat pump requires approximately 1,600 cfm of airflow to function properly, while the furnace it replaces requires only 1,300 cfm.Lipscomb said the 16-inch pipe is not enough to deliver 1,600 cfm of air, which will further reduce the performance of the heat pump.
“So now there’s a pretty big gap at the 15°F design temperature that has to be filled with something,” he said.“And often, that gap is filled with resistive heating, which is much more expensive than natural gas or any other fuel. This increases greenhouse gas emissions beyond policymakers’ expectations and increases grid peak loads beyond what the utility plans to do. ”
Lipscomb points out that using a cold climate heat pump can improve performance in areas where standard heat pumps cannot provide the warmth and comfort needed to keep occupants warm and comfortable.He recommends consulting the NEEP (Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership) website, which includes a product listing for cold climate air source heat pumps.
Another factor to consider when replacing a furnace with a heat pump is the lifespan.Heat pumps are more complex machines because they have more moving parts than furnaces, and as a result, they generally don’t last as long as furnaces.
“It’s an unfortunate reality that really, as a contractor, the only thing you can do is encourage your clients to maintain their equipment,” he said.”Provide a service agreement and explain the importance of maintaining the heat pump – helping it for as long as possible.”
Grid reliability is another issue.Chuck White, vice president of regulatory affairs for the PHCC-National Association, said the U.S. power grid relies heavily on fossil fuels, and natural gas is an integral part of that grid.
“Shifting end-user demand to total power will increase demand for fossil fuel power generation facilities and increase pressure on the distribution grid,” he said.“In order to achieve a ‘clean’ grid, additional renewable energy needs to be added to carry existing loads, but also expanded to carry additional demand diverted from fossil fuel products. The cost of developing this capacity, strengthening distribution infrastructure and ensuring reliability There will be a burden on consumers, especially those with limited resources or fixed incomes.”
With increased demand and additional stress on the grid, power outages are likely to occur more frequently in many parts of the country.In winter, this is so severe that without a source of heat, people can die from exposure, not to mention potential property damage from a burst pipe.As a result, many homeowners use backup heat sources such as propane fireplaces, natural gas fireplaces or even wood stoves to keep their homes warm in an emergency.Or they invest in generators that can keep their furnaces running – an option not always possible with a heat pump.
“A gas furnace can run on a portable generator for just a few hundred dollars,” Lipscomb said.“But heat pumps use a lot of electricity when they’re running, and even more when they start up. To run an all-electric home with a large heat pump, homeowners need a huge natural gas generator. Or, they’ll need a $50,000+ Solar panel array with battery backup for comfort and safety in the event of a power outage.”
That’s why Lipscomb is a fan of a dual-fuel option, where homeowners can use a heat pump for most of their heating needs, but on very cold days — or if the power goes out — a gas stove (or fireplace) can keep occupants Stay warm and comfortable.The problem is, many incentive programs require homeowners to remove their fossil fuel appliances before they are eligible for rebates.
“I’ve seen incentives for heat pumps that require customers to take out their gas stove, gas fireplace or propane fireplace to qualify,” he said.”Unless you’re in a climate that doesn’t experience cold weather, or you’re in a grid that’s never going to lose power, I think it’s the wrong policy. It shouldn’t be all or nothing. Dual fuel isn’t as some of these programs are. It’s evil as described. We need to think about health, safety and comfort, just as we need to think about saving our planet.”
The PHCC-National Association has been on the road this winter, helping its chapter advocate against decarbonization efforts in the state capitol.During a recent visit, Legislative Affairs Director Mark Valentini joined Senate leaders at a news conference in Albany, New York, to protest a plan to eliminate affordable energy, including natural gas connections.
“The PHCC has been tracking it as this problem has grown across the country,” Valentini said.”In every case where a natural gas ban policy was introduced or passed at the local and state level, policy makers had little consideration, and consumers lacked awareness of the impact of electrification policies on the grid and capacity, as well as concerns about placing residential or commercial buildings in The astronomical costs associated with retrofitting to be all-electric are dismissive at best.”
In a recent position paper, the PHCC-National Association said, “While the goal of carbon-neutral energy production is laudable and well-intentioned, it is clear from the PHCC that a decarbonization policy calling for a ban on natural gas does not take into account its consequences.” More from the paper:
Joanna Turpin is a Senior Editor.She can be reached at 248-786-1707 or joannaturpin@achrnews.com.Joanna has been with BNP Media since 1991, first leading the company’s technical books division.She holds a BA in English from the University of Washington and a MA in Technical Communication from Eastern Michigan University.
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