Beneficial Electrification
A Win-Win for Homeowners and State.
By Erica L. Bartlett
ALTHOUGH MAINE HOMEOWNERS might not realize it, many of them have been participating in a transformation called beneficial electrification. This is the process of replacing direct fossil fuel use with electricity in a way that reduces overall emissions and energy costs. Think heat pumps and electric vehicles.
Making this switch is especially important in the transportation and heating sectors since 54% of the state’s emissions come from transportation, followed by 19% of emissions from home heating. Going electric in these areas, combined with using more renewable energy, is key to meeting Maine’s ambitious climate goals of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide 45% below 1990 levels by 2030, and 80% by 2050.
The good news is that Maine is already a national leader on the heating front. Homeowners and businesses have installed over 45,000 high-performance heat pumps and 32,000 heat pump water heaters in the past five years, with more on the way.
Governor Janet Mills has set of goal of installing at least 100,000 new heat pumps by 2025, and Maine is seeing progress. “Mainers have installed a total of 17,107 high-performance heat pumps with assistance from Efficiency Maine in the year and a half since the 100,000-heat pump target was established,” says Michael Stoddard, Executive Director of Efficiency Maine. “The rate of growth year-overyear indicates that we are on the right track to reach the heat pump target by the end of 2025.”
This is good progress, but Maine still has a way to go to meet all the goals set by the Maine Climate Council and adopted by the Governor in December. Homeowners and businesses can help by looking at their heating sources and vehicles.
HEAT PUMPS AND HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS
The reason so many people are installing heat pumps is that it’s one of the simplest and most effective things homeowners can do to reduce heating costs. In the process, it also significantly reduces emissions; as Stoddard notes, “The energy you displace from an oil boiler by using a heat pump, which is the most common scenario, reduces carbon emissions by 60%.”
Homeowners also see other benefits. Kathleen Meil of Maine Conservation Voters points out that since heat pump installations are often paired with weatherization, the result is a more comfortable home with better air quality. They also provide the added benefit of air conditioning during the warmer months. “As we have longer stretches of hot and humid weather, the air conditioning benefits of heat pumps are increasingly important,” says Meil.
Lower operating costs of heat pumps are a big advantage. Based on a comparison from Efficiency Maine, heat pumps are among the most cost-effective heating sources. Heat pump water heaters are also less expensive to run than other water heaters, and heat pumps of all kinds are extremely efficient.
Making these changes requires some up-front cost, and skilled installation, but homeowners can get help with that.
Efficiency Maine offers homeowners rebates of up to $1,500 with the purchase of two qualifying heat pumps (enhanced to $2,500 for qualifying low- and moderate-income Mainers) and incentives up to $850 for heat pump water heaters. It also provides an online list of registered vendors, where you can easily search for someone in your area.
Stoddard notes that in 2020 some people might have experienced difficulty in finding a vendor to install heat pumps, but that’s changing. Companies have grown to meet the increasing demand, and Maine now has almost 1,000 registered vendors available statewide.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
In terms of transportation, homeowners can consider electric vehicles, and this doesn’t only apply to city drivers. A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that by switching to EVs, rural drivers can expect annual savings of more than $1,900 because the operating costs are so much lower.
Most major auto manufacturers now offer a growing selection of electric vehicles. Some are committed to moving in the direction of all electric vehicles, such as Volvo, which has said that as early as 2025, half of the cars it produces will be fully electric. GM is also investing $20 billion in technology for electric and autonomous vehicles, and they’re developing 20 new electric models by 2023, including an all-electric Hummer in early 2022.
Although EVs are less expensive to operate, the up-front cost can be a barrier. These vehicles are typically more expensive than gas-powered vehicles, largely because of the battery. That’s changing, though, as battery manufacturing costs drop, and by 2024, electric cars should have the same up-front cost as conventional cars.
Additionally, anyone who purchases a fully electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid can get a rebate from Efficiency Maine of up to $2,000 (and up to $5,500 for qualifying low income customers).
For those who have range anxiety and worry about not having a place to charge up, Meil notes that most EVs are charged at home, so depending on the model of EV you have you can start each day with a full range of 200 or more miles.
“But if you do need to charge up, Maine already has hundreds of charging stations throughout the state, and they’re easy to find,” Meil says. Google Maps will show their location, as well as sites like Chargepoint, Plug Share and Efficiency Maine’s Charging Station Locator.
Efficiency Maine is also administering a program to expand the availability of charging stations, making them even easier to find and use.
For all these changes to be effective, though, the electricity used to power the devices needs to be clean. “The good news is that in Maine, we have a pretty clean power grid already, and in 10 years, we’ll mostly be running on renewable energy,” says Stoddard.
By continuing the shift to beneficial electrification, Maine can meet its goals for carbon emissions and sustain its quality of life for generations to come. G&HM
This article appeared in the Winter Guide 2021 edition of Green & Healthy Maine. Subscribe today!