At first glance, one of the most noticeable differences between a newly built home and a home that was built 30 years ago is the abundance of electrical outlets in every room. These sockets have become increasingly indispensable in kitchens where various small appliances such as pressure cookers, deep fryers, rice cookers and food processors are used every day. People also need to charge multiple phones, tablets, computers and other electronic devices. After all, the ever-increasing summer temperatures make air conditioning indispensable in many homes.
Households rely heavily on electricity, but strangely, electricity consumption has declined in recent decades, according to the administration's Energy Office. Their numbers suggest that the average home in the United States uses 33.5% less energy than it did in 1980. The reasons include improvements in insulation and building materials, as well as greater efficiency in large and small appliances, water heaters and light bulbs.
Lifestyle, family, father and son control the kitchen lamp via a tablet.Getty Images
To achieve environmental sustainability, we must focus on improving the efficiency of equipment and transitioning to a greener grid by eliminating greenhouse gas-emitting components in electricity generation. This crucial change can start in the home itself.
Avangrid is a leading sustainable energy company serving 3.3 million utility customers in the Northeast. Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra explains
“We help our customers reduce their carbon footprint in a variety of ways.” We do everything we can to help our customers live a sustainable life. We also have several programs to help them increase the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their costs and environmental footprint.”
Pedro Azagra
The best that can be done in this sense are, for example, the so-called passive houses, which Hammad Chaudhry likes to talk about. Chaudhry, manager of energy saving and charging programs at electric company Avangrid, explains that these homes are “very efficient” and use the heat pump mechanism for acclimatization. Insulation, airtight construction, heat control, quality windows and ventilation are basic elements of homes in which the need for cooling or heating is reduced by almost 90%, thereby reducing the impact on the climate. And this is something that significantly reduces consumption, since acclimatization requires an average of 51% of a home's total electricity consumption.
“Smart thermostats also improve efficiency because they “learn” the daily behavior of people in the home,” Chaudhry said. “For example, you can activate the heat pump an hour before you get home from work so that the temperature is perfect for you.” Heat pumps are the most efficient way to regulate the temperature of a home because they use much less electricity and in contrast Can be used for electric heaters for both heating and cooling. These devices can operate efficiently even in extremely cold temperatures, which is particularly important in certain areas of the Northeast where Avangrid operates. Incentives are available for homeowners who install this technology once they are certified for extreme cold climates.
The Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 provides financial assistance to customers who want to install heat pumps, which are slightly more expensive than traditional heating systems and air conditioning systems. These costs can also be offset through Avangrid's financial assistance programs. Before installing a heat pump at home, Chaudhry recommends ensuring proper insulation to maximize its benefits. Avangrid contractors can evaluate your home and make recommendations to minimize heating and cooling losses. Older buildings typically require new and improved insulation. It is also important to choose a heat pump that has the right performance for your home.
To achieve energy efficiency in your home, incorporate renewable energy sources such as solar panels or batteries. They not only create a sustainable living environment, but also offer attractive incentives.
From the network to the street
The optimal time to charge an electric car is when power consumption is at its lowest. This sustainable practice can also save money as electricity is cheaper during off-peak times. “Almost 30% of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation,” explains Christina Ficicchia, manager of Avangrid’s Smart Grid program. “So solving this problem will help improve climate problems.”
Increasing production of sleeker electric vehicles (EVs), as well as efforts by companies like Toyota to develop advanced engines that can travel 745 miles on a single charge and install charging facilities along highways, are changing public perceptions of electric cars. According to Cox Automotive, more than 300,000 electric vehicles were sold in the third quarter of 2023, an increase of nearly 50% compared to the previous year. Electric vehicles currently have a market share of 7.9%.
Smiling mother holding a power plug and standing next to her father at a gas station.Getty Images
“The emissions of an electric car are those linked to its manufacture and the energy that we send to the grid for charging, but it is a solution that becomes more sustainable over time,” explains Ficicchia. “It is a matter of time before we incorporate more renewable energy into our distribution network, and it is a matter of time until we have more electric vehicles on the network and the necessary infrastructure can be built.”
The states of California and New York have passed laws banning the sale of cars in the states that are not fully electric or hybrid from 2035, which will give an important boost to the spread of this type of vehicle. According to Ficicchia, this is a way to signal to the automotive industry that the transition to manufacturing these vehicles can be made because the demand will be there in a few years.
In addition to the individual effects, there is also the conversion of commercial vehicle fleets such as Amazon to parcel deliveries and the truck fleets with the highest emissions. Truck emissions are comparable to those of 10 cars, so the move away from petrol and diesel engines will have a significant impact.
Ficicchia knows this will be a process that will take time as many of the trucks are part of large fleets and a quick transition is required due to the requirements involved, the costs and the fact that greater production capacity and network are required , is not possible and must be expanded to meet future energy needs.
“We cannot build substations overnight, we need a few years,” explains Ficicchia, who advises users to be proactive in developing their conversion plans and to allow enough time to prepare for the change.
Installing rotor blades on a wind turbine.Getty Images
Both Ficicchia and Chaudhry recognize that there are costs associated with this transition that require help from both the private and public sectors. In the early stages of the transition, when costs are highest, municipalities need additional incentives and investments.
The anti-inflation law has created several incentives for the energy transition, but Ficicchia believes it is also important to act quickly on environmental issues. “And to accelerate the transport transition,” said Ficicchia, “innovative economic solutions will play a crucial role.”
Marcel, a unique hotel
The Marcel Hotel in New Haven, Connecticut, part of the Hilton chain, is unique. It is the first in the world with more than 100 rooms certified as passive house.
In his recent renovation, the property's architect and owner, Bruce Redman Becker, ensured that the Brutalist-style building, completed in 1970, runs entirely on renewable energy and has zero emissions. The building, which housed the offices of the Armstrong Rubber Company and then Pirelli, is now an example of how an old building can be adapted to new technologies.
Hammad Chaudhry, manager of Avangrid, explains that the company has all the necessary technologies to achieve this goal of sustainability and efficiency, including storage batteries. According to Chaudhry, “This hotel represents the future.”
CREDITS
Illustrations Monica Juarez
Design and layout Mónica Juárez and Alfredo García