Residential Electrification

According to US Department of Energy (PDF), Montgomery County (PDF) has a mixed-humid climate—which means we have approximately 5,400 heating degree days (65°F basis) or fewer, and the average monthly outdoor temperature drops below 45°F during the winter months—so County residents need heating and air conditioning units to make our homes comfortable.

Heat Pumps are good for your wallet. Heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces, boilers, and air conditioners because they use less energy. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house, and during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors.

Current models of heat pumps can even lower electricity use for heating by approximately 50% compared to electric resistance heating, such as furnaces and baseboard heaters.

Heat pumps create cleaner air the air in the home. Heat pumps eliminate harmful indoor air pollutants that are generated from gas-fired furnaces and boilers. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and better indoor comfort in the summer months.

To learn more about the benefits of heat pumps and how to switch to using them, read our heat pump blog on My Green Montgomery.

• Residential Heat Pump Factsheet - English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

Another way to electrify your home is to swap out your gas water heater for an efficient electric heat pump water heater. Heat pump water heaters use electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. While a refrigerator pulls heat from inside a box and sends it into the surrounding room, a stand-alone air-source heat pump water heater pulls heat from the surrounding air and transfers it -- at a higher temperature -- to heat water in a storage tank.

Compared to gas or resistance options, heat pump water heaters can be two to three times more energy efficient. According to the electrification non-profit, Rewiring America (PDF), heat pump water heaters can last for up to 15 years and lower your home’s GHG emissions by about 10%.

While heat pump water heater systems typically have higher initial costs than conventional storage water heaters, they have lower operating costs, which can offset higher purchase and installation costs. The Department of Energy (DOE) highlights everything you need to know about heat pump water heaters.

Residents can electrify their kitchen with induction cooking, which refers to a specific method for generating heat. A traditional electric stove uses a burner and radiant heat to cook your food. An induction cooking stove or range uses electromagnetism to cook food inside the pot or pan. Induction essentially cuts out the intermediate step of heating a burner and then transferring that heat to your pot or pan.

With induction, there is an electromagnetic reaction between the burner and the pot or pan. Under the ceramic glass surface of the cooktop lies a coil of copper; when you turn on the power, an electric current flows through the coil and produces an invisible magnetic field. This magnetic field causes the iron molecules in your cookware to generate heat. The heated metal pan then conducts heat to the food or water inside, all while the ceramic glass surface of the induction stove remains cool. Without a pot on the induction burner, no heat will be generated.

Induction cooking offers many environmental advantages compared to a traditional natural gas range and efficiency advantages compared to an electric cooktop. In addition to being faster, safer, and more energy efficient, induction cooking also eliminates harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that are emitted by gas stoves—even when they aren’t being used! One study found that replacing a gas stove with induction or electric stove decreased NO2 concentrations by 51% in the kitchen.

• Induction Cooking Factsheet - English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

Check out our blog on My Green Montgomery to learn how you can switch to induction cooking.

Compared to most of the appliances around your home, your dryer consumes a lot of energy depending on how often you use it. This is true of most heat-producing appliances like your furnace, water heater and oven.

All dryers use energy to power a motor that turns the drum and a fan that blows hot air. Most of a dryer's energy goes into producing heat, and this is done with either electricity or natural gas.

Switching to an electric clothes dryer is a relatively easy way to cut down your home’s energy usage, and installing one is straightforward if there are already proper electrical outlets in your laundry area. ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers deliver superior efficiency and performance by incorporating advanced features using 20% less energy than standard models.

Depending on your home’s location and its solar potential, installing a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system allows you to generate electricity from your roof, which lowers your overall energy usage and potentially leads to lower utility bills. Pairing onsite solar with a battery back-up for storage means you can use stored solar power after the sun goes down.

To install a solar energy system, follow these steps:

• Determine if your home is in a sunny location with limited or no shade coverage by using the PVWatts® Calculator or SunCalc or Project Sunroof.
• Have a certified contractor evaluate the viability of your roof or contact Solar United Neighbors of Maryland for more information.
• Find a licensed solar installer that is certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners or Roof Integrated Solar Energy.
• Financing for your solar panel purchase is available through Montgomery County Green Bank.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are powered by electric motors that use energy stored in batteries. Some run completely on electricity while others use a combination of electricity and a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine. Some you need to plug in to recharge. All EVs produce fewer emissions than conventional vehicles. When you drive an EV, you save on fuel costs because electricity is much cheaper than gas! U.S. electricity costs have been consistently lower than gasoline fuel for more than a decade. Compare for yourself with research data provided by the U.S. Department of Energy on FuelEconomy.gov.

If you already own an EV or are thinking of purchasing one, consider installing a home EV charging station if you electrify your ride. Charging an EV at home is convenient and cheaper than public charging stations. Learn more on DEP’s EV Charging page.

Other options to help you electrify your ride: try an e-scooter/e-bike, participate in bike sharing, or use public transportation!

• Electric Vehicles Factsheet - English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)