Building electrification
Building electrification is to replace all non-electric appliances with efficient electric alternatives. Switching to efficient electric sources does not have to happen all at once. It is a journey that our advisors can assist you with.
Efficiency Works offers energy advising and assessments. Energy advisors can identify efficiency opportunities and potential rebates and answer any questions you may have. Your advisor can also help review quotes from approved service providers when choosing to move forward with a project.
Building electrification approaches
There are a variety of ways to electrify a building, a few of which are highlighted below. When evaluating electrification, there are a number of things to consider, most commonly the size of electric panel currently installed.
| Common approaches to building electrification: | Things to consider prior to electrification: |
|---|---|
| Electrify heating and cooling with heat pumps | Building envelope improvements such as air sealing and insulation or new windows can reduce run times for HVAC equipment, saving money. Consider an energy assessment or advising session with Efficiency Works |
| Electrify your water heater with a heat pump water heater | Consider the space requirements for a heat pump water heater. Be aware there may be longer lead times for heat pump water heaters. |
| Electrify appliances such as stoves to efficient induction stoves | Induction stoves require compatible pots and pans. If a magnet sticks to the bottom of your current pots and pans, they are induction compatible. |
| Electrify gas dryers with heat pump dryers | An electric panel upgrade may be required to electrify certain items |
| Electrify your transportation with an EV | Learn more about EVs |
Residential building electrification info:
Commercial building electrification info:
Learn more about building electrification adoption and resources in your community
Estes Park Fort Collins Longmont Loveland
Residential electrification Q&A
Heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners for all climates. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house. During the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your house into the outdoors. Because they transfer heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can efficiently provide comfortable temperatures for your home. Besides providing heating and cooling for your home, heat pump technologies can also replace fossil fuel and electric resistance hot water heaters.
Gas furnaces max out their efficiency around 95% Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). This means they consume 95% of the fuel burned in the unit. Heat pumps do not generate heat but instead move heat around using the refrigeration cycle. This technology can produce 300 times more energy than it consumes compared to furnaces.
For most existing homes that install a new heat pump system, the heating costs associated with the heat pump may be slightly higher if the home was utilizing natural gas. Homes switching to heat pumps from propane or electric resistance sources will typically see a reduction in operational costs.
There are two different types of heat pump systems, a duel fuel system and a cold climate heat pump.
A dual fuel system has two separate heating systems that work as a team to provide heating. The classic example is a furnace that has a heat pump installed just like a traditional air conditioner. The heat pump provides heating capacity through its rated temperature range and then the furnace kicks on to provide additional heat when the temperatures get to low for the heat pump. This application typically has mid efficiency heat pumps that can only heat down to 15-25 F effectively.
Cold climate heat pumps, however can provide heating down to -5 degrees and are often the sole heat source in homes when combined with electric resistant heat.
