How to Electrify and Decarbonize Single Family Homes

 How to Electrify and Decarbonize Single Family Homes

Date: July 13^th (Tuesday) 6-7pm
This is a FREE Event

Codes now require new single family residential construction to include solar panels, but there are many other benefits to bringing electric energy into a home whether it is new or retrofitted. We will look at the way homes can become resilient during power outages through power balancing and home charging.  Additionally, we will discuss how to select electric appliances with the “Watt Diet” which will help to avoid service upgrades.  And we will touch on the growing evidence of the effects of gas on indoor air quality in which an all-electric home is not only a safer home but one that is a healthier environment.  Finally, appliance manufacturers are starting to catch on and the availability of easier to install, aesthetically pleasing and more affordable options for fireplaces, pool heaters, outdoor grills will be discussed with actual examples.  Redwood Energy All-Electric expert, Sean Armstrong will provide examples and technical strategies on using or replacing gas appliances throughout the home.

We are excited to have this as our first joint event with The Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings Silicon Valley. The campaign was launched in 2019 as a way to accelerate and phase out fossil fuels from all buildings in Silicon Valley beginning with new construction.  37 member groups have participated in attending and talking to city councils up and down the peninsula.  It has been a great success and there are currently 46 municipalities that have passed Reach Codes throughout California.

Learning Objectives:

1. Familiarity with the various types, costs and possible applications of electric HVAC, Water Heaters, Laundry Dryers and Ranges
2. Familiarity with the “Watt Diet” concept, where they can use power efficient appliances to avoid service upgrades and peaking during dirty grid hours
3. Understanding of the roles of solar power–a New Construction Code mandate, CO2 reduction and payback
4. Familiarity with different resiliency strategies–V2B reversible car charging, portable and permanent solar + battery

Presenters

Sean Armstrong
Redwood Energy (redwoodenergy.net)

As part of Redwood Energy, Sean and his firm have led the design of more than 10,000 units of Zero Net Energy, all-electric affordable housing, and 200 all-electric market rate residences. They have provided Title 24 modeling, design support and Utility Allowance modeling to create cost-effective Zero Net Energy housing. Their projects range from cottages to high rise residences, commercial spaces and large facilities.

Sean taught net-zero design at a demonstration house at Humboldt State University from 1999-2002, and has 12,000+ hours of experience as staff Project Manager with affordable housing developers Pacific Communities, Danco Communities, and the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Arcata. Sean was the first developer to use the California Utility Allowance Calculator (CUAC).

Leane Eberhart
Fossil Free Building Silicon Valley

Leane joined FFBSV earlier this year.  Her background in Architecture has covered many different project types, but her wider passion is in sustainability.  Her interest started in college with her theses focused on an adaptive reuse of an old abandoned High School in Albuquerque and an Australian Aboriginal museum with high energy-efficient buildings.  The last few years she has felt keenly the growing environmental crisis and it has pushed her to engage more fully in pursing sustainability.