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Illinois Future of Gas: Electrification Meeting Pt. 2 – November 18, 2024

Elizabeth — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:57:46 +0000

By: Scott Allen, Energy Policy Specialist On Monday, November 18, the Future of Gas workshop wrapped up its exploration of building electrification as a decarbonization pathway. The previous workshop (November 4) focused on residential and industrial opportunities, while this time the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) discussed commercial appliance switching for space heating and cooling, water heating and cooking. The other two presentations were from ComEd and Ameren. ComEd’s presentation was fairly well structured and addressed questions about its ability to meet winter peaking demand and whether heat pumps can be both adequate and cost effective. Ameren’s presentation was the opposite of all that. As was the case with industrial decarbonization, I think EPRI’s presentation is worth looking over if for no other reason than seeing some studies on the effectiveness of heat pumps and electric cooking. I also appreciated EPRI taking time to talk about the scale of commercial building emissions at the Illinois and national levels. It’s important to keep in mind the amount of gas each sector of the economy uses and for what purposes, lest we get caught up in the arguments from the fossil fuel industry that these sectors are either impossible to electrify, or that these sectors don’t represent much of an impact at all. This graphic shows us how commercial buildings use fossil fuels for heat, and the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from those uses: Not surprisingly, space heating is particularly dirty in the commercial sector, followed by cooking and water heating. In Illinois, according to EPRI’s study of U.S. Energy Information Administration data, 20 percent of methane gas is used in commercial buildings, and these buildings also account for 20 percent of our energy use in the state. Illinois is the eighth largest methane consumer in the nation. The good news is that across each sector of the economy the state can significantly reduce the amount of gas we need for all categories of end use, and we can begin that reduction now without much hesitation. Further reductions can continue through the medium term (5-15 years), and in the long term, we can focus on those “hard to decarbonize” end uses. So what is stopping us from embarking on a more significant reduction? As far as I can tell from these workshops, it’s an absence of effective policy combined with fear-mongering from proponents of gas. That’s not to say that there aren’t legitimate concerns to discuss, but there’s a difference between discussion and action. The goal for gas advocates in this process is to ensure that we never get to the action part, and they work to achieve this goal by discussing barriers and pushing non-decarbonization actions. Depending on the subject of the workshop and the points of view being presented, the challenges of decarbonization and the level of difficulty assigned to each of them tend to shift from meeting to meeting. When it comes to electrification, I think everybody involved would agree that the electric grid, appliance/equipment capability and affordability are three of the most important challenges to consider. ComEd addressed each of them in its presentation, and had a relatively positive […]

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We asked for your clean energy testimonials and CUB supporters delivered

Elizabeth — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 20:24:05 +0000

We asked our e-newsletter recipients for their energy success stories, and we received many great testimonials on how you’re using clean energy to cut costs. Here are a few of our favorites. Derek, Oak Park Using state and federal clean energy rebates, Derek was able to achieve a significant reduction in his home’s carbon footprint by installing solar panels, making energy efficiency upgrades and swapping out gas appliances for electric ones. “As a homeowner, there are significant steps I can take to do my part in eliminating my own personal climate pollution: replace our appliances with electric ones and generate free, clean energy with rooftop solar panels,” he wrote. “We don’t need to wait for some new technology to be invented, or some new program to make this transition. We can start now, and do our part to save the planet, improve our quality of life, and save money in the long run.” Robert, Chicago Robert participates in ComEd’s Hourly Pricing program, which charges an electricity supply rate that can change hourly. (Read CUB’s ComEd Hourly Pricing factsheet and see CUB’s Electric page for more information on utility special pricing programs.) If you can avoid heavy electricity usage during high-priced times, you can save money. In fact, the average customer is saving about 15 percent on the supply portion of their bill. “We shifted our laundry and dishwasher to overnight operation using built-in delay timers in the devices,” he said. “We have saved 25 percent in energy costs since making the switch.” Ed, Carlinville Ed switched out his air conditioner and furnace for an energy-efficient heat pump system. “The great thing about air source heat pumps is that they offer you more bang for your buck by functioning as a heating source in the winter and, using the same technology in reverse, an AC in the summer,” said CUB’s new Carbon Free Buildings Coordinator Joey Lee. Read CUB’s Better Heat Guide and Heat Pump factsheet to learn how you can make the switch too. Kathy, Chicago Kathy has insulated her home, installed solar panels, bought an electric stove and an electric heat pump dryer and installed a heat pump. “I hope to later this year or early next year put in a heat pump water heater at that point I will be 100 percent electric in a 110-year-old house!” she said. Read CUB’s Guide to the Inflation Reduction Act to learn how you can use federal rebates for these electric appliance upgrades and CUB’s Solar Guide for more information about solar energy in Illinois. Michael, Lincolnshire A few years ago, Michael learned about the Community Solar program, which helps participants enjoy the benefits of solar without having to install panels on their property. The program allows consumers to save money on their electric bills from energy produced by large, offsite community solar projects, similar to how you would save on your electric bill if you installed panels on your own property. Michael signed up, and he said: “I started saving money on my electric bills… For the first 2-year contract ending 1/1/23, I have saved $303.26.” Jim, Berwyn Jim installed […]

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What is Electrification? A CUB Explainer

Elizabeth — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 15:56:24 +0000

What’s with all the buzz about electrification? CUB has a new “Better Heat” guide that explains this topic in-depth, but here’s a quick CUB explainer to help break it all down. What is electrification? Building electrification is the process of replacing fossil-fueled equipment like furnaces and natural gas stoves with their electric counterparts. Switching to electricity to run your home means that your energy can come from clean and more affordable sources like solar or wind, improve indoor air quality and help protect you from high gas costs. Why does CUB support it? CUB supports the transition to electrification because Illinoisians simply can’t afford not to. Gas is bad for our bottom lines: The volatile gas market subjects customers to recurring price spikes and high charges linked to aggressive utility spending. Currently, Illinois consumers face about $887 million in rate-hike requests by the state’s major gas utilities. These problems are felt statewide but seem to be most severe in Chicago, where about one in five customers are consistently one month or more behind on their gas bills. (Last month, we held a protest at the Peoples Gas Headquarters against their record $402 million rate-hike request.) Gas is bad for our health: There is mounting evidence that gas stoves pollute your home’s air. Sustainability think tank RMI linked the typical use of gas stoves to a 42 percent increase in rates of childhood asthma and additional health problems. Gas is bad for the planet: Heating with gas is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. RMI found that 10 states account for nearly 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings — and Illinois ranks third. Natural gas isn’t a sustainable option, either environmentally or financially, in the long run. It’s time for consumers to explore alternatives. How do we electrify? Electrification requires planning–this won’t happen overnight. But there are steps you can take now to get started. Complete your checklist of energy efficiency upgrades. CUB’s Clean Energy page has information on tips and programs to make your home more efficient. A home energy audit can help you make a checklist of improvements. Making your home as efficient as possible maximizes savings before you switch from gas. Plus, it’ll help when the time comes to purchase an electric heat pump (see below) to replace your gas heat: An energy-efficient home may require a smaller, less expensive pump. Manage your energy use. When you use energy is as important as how much you use. You can participate in “demand response” programs in which you can put off the bulk of your electricity usage to times when electricity demand is lower. By reducing peak electricity demand, these programs help make the power grid cleaner and more reliable, and they can help you save money. Consider using more renewable energy– you can do this by subscribing to a community solar offer or installing solar panels on your home. There has never been a better time to go solar. Once you’ve done these, consider switching from gas to electric appliances. Geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient method to heat and cool your homes and […]

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CUB’s 5 ways to mark Earth Week (and any week!)

Elizabeth — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 19:53:00 +0000

In this week leading up to Earth Day, on Saturday April 22, we’ve rounded up a list of five ways you can mark the moment, with the help of CUB resources. This year’s Earth Day theme is “Invest in our Planet,” which fits nicely with CUB’s message that clean energy lowers utility bills. See our checklist of actions to consider this week, and any week: Do some spring cleaning and practice energy efficiency As we look forward to summer, we start with the basics–because the cleanest, cheapest energy is the energy we don’t use. CUB recommends simple actions, like turning off the lights and fans when you leave the room. But springtime is a great opportunity to get your home energy efficient for the summer. Also…. Check out these handy summer energy-saving tips; Read our Year Round Energy Savings fact sheet; Visit our Clean Energy page to get details on free or low-cost energy efficiency programs your utility may offer; Read CUB’s Guide to Going Green. Consider Solar There’s never been a better time in Illinois history to go solar. But not everyone can install panels on their property (people who have a lot of shade, or apartment dwellers). But in Illinois, you can still get the benefits of solar power without having to install solar panels on your roof. Community Solar allows you to subscribe to a portion of the output of a solar installation (a.k.a. community solar garden) somewhere in your utility’s territory to offset part of your electricity usage. Check out our Solar in the Community website for more information–currently, all of the companies offering community solar subscriptions offer savings for consumers. The program is open to all customers, no matter your income. In fact, the Illinois Solar for All program is designed for income-qualified customers and guarantees savings up to 20 percent – our ILSFA landing page has details. Learn more about geothermal heat pumps (and other heat pumps) What better way to celebrate Earth Week than to learn how the Earth can help you cut your utility bills? Much like a refrigerator, heat pump systems utilize electricity to move heat from cool spaces to warm spaces and vice versa. Depending on the season, geothermal heat pumps use electricity to move heat from the ground to your home and or from your home to the ground, and CUB Carbon Free Buildings Coordinator David Weaver reports that geothermal can reduce energy costs by up to 70 percent compared with traditional heating and cooling systems. That’s why CUB has launched its first-ever geothermal group-buy program. Grow Geo, in partnership with Midwest Renewable Energy Association and the Geothermal Alliance of Illinois, is designed to help Chicago-area consumers install a geothermal heat pump system at a discount and cut their utility bills going forward. Maybe you’re not ready to make the leap yet, but knowledge is power: Attend a presentation on the program (they’re called Power Hours) to educate yourself about geothermal heat pumps. If geothermal isn’t right for you, learn more about another efficient alternative, air source heat pumps. Plant native trees for Enviroscaping Get your hands dirty–and plant […]

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What’s the deal with air source heat pumps? CUB investigates

Elizabeth — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:43:18 +0000

By David Weaver Carbon Free Buildings Coordinator Do you have questions about Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)? What are they? How do they work? Are they capable of heating my home in the winter? Will they save me money? Should I make the switch? These are all important questions that we get asked almost daily here at CUB, and to make sure we are able to provide the most accurate information to our consumers, I had to start researching and asking some experts. What are air source heat pumps and how do they work? Heat pump systems are another method for heating and cooling your home in a more energy-efficient and cost-effective manner. Much like a refrigerator, heat pump systems utilize electricity to move heat from cool spaces to warm spaces and vice versa. Because heat pump systems move heat rather than generate it, they are a more economically sound way of warming your home. This is because when properly installed, an ASHP can provide 300% more heat energy to a home than electricity used. ASHPs can use a home’s existing ductwork or use mini-splits. Mini-splits have a head that goes up on the wall and depending on your home’s needs you can install heads in various rooms with each controlled separately. Are they capable of keeping my home comfortable? ASHPs are more efficient at cooling homes than air conditioning units and should have no issue keeping homes cool in the summer as long as they are properly designed. In fact, as many models of ASHPs, especially cold climate heat pumps, have variable speed compressors, they are often considered more comfortable than A/C units because they can maintain a steady temperature, whereas A/C units often have to turn on and off throughout the day causing significant temperature fluctuations in the home. Cold Climate ASHPs operate more efficiently and less expensively than furnaces, electric resistance heaters and broilers. Of course this efficiency advantage lessons on frigid days, when the temperature drops below zero for an extended period of time. Some models are designed to work with backup electric heating or another system that kicks in at a certain temperature. However, a properly designed cold climate air source heat pump can keep a home comfortable even on days when the ambient temperature goes below -13 degrees. One way to improve the performance of your heat pump is to make sure your home is properly insulated and weatherized. John McKinnon installed a heat pump to cool and heat his family’s home, a more than 100 year-old building in Chicago that didn’t have air conditioning. “We were already interested in energy efficiency and to stop using polluting fossil fuels, (fortunately) the upfront costs of the heat pump (which cools and heats) were almost the same as putting in a new A/C system,” he wrote. “So to us it wasn’t much of a choice because we saved money with energy efficient rebates, will continue to save money over time, and it was another move towards electrifying our building.” The ASHP performed well in their first summer and winter. “The temperature is very balanced with units installed throughout our […]

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Here’s what Illinois consumers need to know about Inflation Reduction Act clean energy benefits

Elizabeth — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 21:00:03 +0000

Now that the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has been signed into law, many consumers are wondering how they can benefit from the money-saving, clean energy provisions in the bill. The IRA represents much needed relief at a time when 1 in 6 homes in America are behind on their utility payments. Below are the major ways consumers can take advantage of the new legislation: Home Energy Efficiency Tax Credits Each year for the next decade, consumers can claim a tax credit for 30 percent of the cost of qualified projects that make their home less drafty or improve energy efficiency, to an annual limit of $1,200 credit. These incentives include: Up to $600 for highly efficient central air conditioners; electric panel upgrades; and water heaters, furnaces and water boilers that run on natural gas, propane or oil. These products must meet Consortium for Energy Efficiency’s highest efficiency tier. Up to $150 for a home energy audit $600 for new energy-efficient exterior windows or skylights $500 for exterior doors Heat Pumps and wood burning stoves If you purchase an energy-efficient electric or heat pump for space heating and cooling or a heat pump water heater, you qualify for 30 percent tax credits up to $2,000. Tax credits are also available for highly rated stoves and boilers that generate heat from burning wood or other biomass feedstocks. The credits for heat pumps or biomass stoves and boilers don’t count against the $1,200 annual limit for the home energy efficiency tax credit detailed in the previous section. Electrification rebates The Inflation Reduction Act includes $4.5 billion over 10 years for state and tribal programs that discount or fund electrification and efficiency projects or appliances for lower and moderate-income households. The bill defines lower-income households by annual incomes less than 80 percent of the area median income. Moderate income is defined by annual income no greater than 150 percent of the median. (Learn how to find your area median income.) The lowest-income households are eligible for point-of-sale rebates covering the full cost of certain electrical appliances or efficiency projects. Moderate-income individuals and families can get half off. The cumulative rebates available to each household total $14,000. The law sets rebate caps for selected electric product classes. There is up to $8,000 available for purchasing space heating and cooling heat pumps. For heat pump water heaters, the maximum is $1,750. For electric stoves, it’s $840. The high-efficiency electric home rebates should also cover half or all the cost of upgrading electric panels up to a $4,000 limit. Other covered services are electrical work, with a $2,500 maximum, and insulation projects, up to $1,600. Solar, batteries and geothermal Thanks to the new law, the existing 22 percent solar panel tax credit has been immediately bumped to 30 percent for the next decade. This tax credit is available now, so it’s a great time to look into your local solar group-buy programs, like Grow Solar Chicagoland. There’s also a tax credit for home battery units with more than 3 kilowatt-hours of storage capacity, allowing the benefits of solar generation to stretch into shorter winter days. For […]

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Save money on your bills and keep your home warm: Practice efficiency!

Hannah — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 16:47:52 +0000

With the high natural gas prices we will likely see throughout the winter, be mindful of your gas usage this heating season. Practicing efficiency can help you better control your bills while still keeping your home comfortable. The gas efficiency section of CUB’s website has resources to help you get started. Here are some of our favorite programs and tips: Nicor’s Home Energy Assessment At no cost to you, an energy advisor will walk through your home to suggest improvements and install money-saving products, such as a programmable thermostat, efficient showerheads and LEDs. Alternatively, you can order free weatherization and water-saving kits through the utility that include items like weather stripping tape, door sweeps, shower timers and plumber’s tape. Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas’ Home Energy Rebate Program Peoples and North Shore customers who are owners of single-family homes, two-flats and individually-metered condos and townhome may qualify for rebates on energy-saving improvements to their homes. The program webpage flushes out the details, but if you’re making improvements to your home, such as adding insulation or replacing your hot water heater or furnace, you could save hundreds of dollars through the rebate program. Ameren’s Appliance Recycling Program Some of Ameren’s gas efficiency programs are only available to income-qualified consumers, like the utility’s Home Energy Assessment, but every customer is eligible for the freezer and refrigerator recycling program. Ameren will pick up your old refrigerator or freezer, recycle it responsibly and send you $50. You can schedule a pickup online or call 1-844-379-0047. Heat pumps Also included on the gas efficiency section of CUB’s website is information about heat pumps. Heat pump systems are another method for heating and cooling your home in a more energy-efficient and cost-effective manner, moving heat from cool spaces to warm spaces and vice versa. Heat pumps use electricity rather than burning gas on-site at your home or business. As the electric grid changes and transitions toward more renewable sources and away from coal and gas, heat pumps are a cleaner and more cost-effective alternative. Smart thermostats Smart thermostats can help you make the most of your efficiency programs and upgrades. By continuously monitoring temperature and humidity levels in your home, smart thermostats can turn your air conditioning or furnace on or off to save energy without changing the temperature noticeably. ComEd and Ameren customers can enjoy a rebate of $100 on smart thermostats. Virtual Utility Bill Clinic After you’ve gone through your own efficiency upgrades, have a CUB staffer review your gas, electric and telecom bills. Send a copy of your bills to ubc@citizensutilityboard.org, and a staff member will analyze your bills for potential savings and educate you on energy scams and ripoffs.

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