Create Your Home Electrification Plan [Part 1: Plugging In]
The first of a series on how to plan for comfortable, carbon-free living.
⚡️ This is the first of a multi-part series on creating your own home electrification plan. You will identify and prioritize the actions to be taken to achieve comfortable, carbon-free living. I’ll provide a template worksheet for you to create your individualized plan.
⚡️ The Home Electrification Pyramid is a framework that will help organize our plan. The pyramid breaks out sources of personal emissions into 6 categories and maps them to their relative contribution to a fully-electrified home.
⚡️ We’ll start with plugging in — the base layer of the pyramid — to help you understand how generating electricity and your electrical service capacity support a fully electrified home. For electricity generation, you will examine your utility plan and installing rooftop solar. For electrical service capacity, you’ll explore your electric meter and main circuit panel.
⚡️ We’ll complete your plan in the following posts of this series by adding the 5 other electrification categories (e.g. getting around, staying warm). Once your plan is complete, we can then turn our attention to how to complete electrification projects.
Introduction
At our current pace, it is estimated to take more than 500 years to retrofit all U.S. homes to be fully electric1. We don’t have nearly this much time — instead, we only have 2 decades to get this done. So what can we do to speed this transition up ~25x? It’s up to each of us to kink this curve, starting with our own homes.
As with anything we set out to do, starting with a plan can help us chart a course to reaching our goal and monitor progress along the way. This is the first of a multi-part series on creating an electrification plan that is specific to your family’s home and your needs. To make this as easy as possible, I’ll provide a template for your home electrification plan for you to fill out as we go. I’ll also share my own completed worksheet for my family’s home in Concord, MA for you to use as an example.
To start, please make a copy of the Volted Home Electrification Plan Template
At the end of this post, you should have a completed worksheet that looks something like this (link to spreadsheet here):
So what will go in your electrification plan? For a vast majority of us, electrifying means replacing what already exists in our homes built for fossil-fuels with electrified, zero-carbon alternatives. To map this all out, you’ll likely need to spend some time learning about machines and appliances in your home that you may have ignored in the past.
As you explore the relevant existing infrastructure in your home, you’ll identify ⚡️ candidates for electrification ⚡️ and assign a priority level of 🟢 high, 🟡 medium, or 🔴 low for taking action based on your specific situation. I’ll provide guidance and recommendations around this below.
Prepare to spend some quality time exploring your utility room (it will be FUN, I promise!). Think of it as your very own scavenger hunt, where the prize is comfortable carbon-free living for you and your family!
The Home Electrification Pyramid
To help organize our plan, I’ve designed the Home Electrification Pyramid. Loosely based on the food pyramid, this illustrates the major activities in and around our homes to be electrified, and the relative importance of each to achieve comfortable, zero-carbon living. Just as a pyramid has individual layers that together form a structure, a fully electrified home is a system of interrelated parts that must work in concert to achieve our goal. The pyramid helps us understand the different categories (layers) of things in our home that are candidates for electrification, and the relative importance of each.
With the Home Electrification Pyramid, we can visualize the complete system that makes up the fully electrified home — and help us plan for how each individual action we can take (e.g. installing rooftop solar) fits into our larger goal of full electrification:
Let’s orient ourselves to the pyramid. There are 6 categories to fully electrify: plugging in, getting around, staying warm, washing clothes, landscaping, & cooking (more details in Home Electrification 101). Where each category sits on the pyramid corresponds to its contribution to the average person’s overall carbon footprint, as well as how it supports an electrified, emissions-free home.
For example, plugging in makes up the base of our pyramid because it both represents the second-largest source of personal emissions (27%), and is the foundation needed to fully electrify how you get around, stay warm, etc. On the flip side, cooking represents <1% of emissions, so it’s the smallest top layer — but still plays a role in achieving an electrified home and comes with other benefits.
Ready to build your pyramid and create your home electrification plan? Let’s go!
Note: Along the way, feel free to look at my example home electrification plan for inspiration and additional guidance.
Part 1: Plugging in
The remainder of this post will be focused on plugging in, the base of our home electrification pyramid. Starting our plan here is advantageous because plugging in not only represents a significant chunk of emissions, but also serves as a foundation for electrifying every other category.
We’ll divide this section our our plan into two parts — generating electricity (where your electricity comes from) and and electrical service capacity (the infrastructure in your house that powers everything that is plugged in).
Generating electricity
Let’s start by identifying what can be done to ensure 100% of the electricity you generate comes from renewable sources. The average American creates 27% of their carbon footprint from electricity generated by fossil-fuels, second only to emissions from getting around (i.e. gas cars). Relatedly, as we swap more of our gas appliances for electric alternatives, we need to make sure these newly electrified machines are powered by clean electricity sources to actually get the desired climate impact.
Think of the electricity coming into our house as the foundation by which we must build upon to achieve home electrification. If we swap to all electric appliances but still use electricity from burning coal, that’s not truly meeting our goal of emissions-free living. This is why plugging in sits at the base of the Home Electrification Pyramid.
As it relates to generating electricity, it’s important to consider both the energy sourced from our local utility as well as our ability to generate our own electricity with rooftop solar.
Your utility plan
One of the simplest, least expensive things you can do in your electrification journey is to understand what options are available to get 100% renewable electricity from your local utility. This is a great first step as this does not require purchasing of any new equipment and will have marginal impact on your monthly electricity bills.
To do this, you’ll want to learn what percentage of your current electricity delivered by your local utility comes from renewable sources like wind and solar. A good place to start is Googling <your utility’s name> energy mix. I’ll use my local utility in Concord, MA as an example. Concord has committed to providing 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030 and is on track to reach this goal early in this year (2023)2:
If your local utility is not already delivering fully renewable electricity to your home, check to see if your utility makes a 100% renewable plan available as an option for you. Because my town of Concord already is on the precipice of providing this to all customers, there is no such option available to me. However, there is more likely to be a 100% renewable plan available if your utility is not already on a near-term path to hit this milestone.
For instance, in my former home of San Francisco and its primarily utility in PG&E, provides 50% renewable energy to customers by default, but offers a SuperGreen plan that is 100% renewable. Making the switch can be done entirely remotely without any changes to equipment in your home or apartment. Importantly, switching to 100% renewable utility plans is available to renters as well as homeowners! If you’re a renter, this is one of the few direct actions you can take to support zero-carbon living.
As a testament to affordability, the 100% renewable option is usually only marginally more expensive than alternatives, thanks to the rapidly declining cost of solar and wind energy. See below from San Francisco’s SuperGreen plan, which totals just $2.49 more per month to go form 50% > 100% clean electricity in your home:
Another area to explore is joining a community solar or wind project. This is where you buy power from solar or wind farms that deliver electricity to the grid, and then you get credits to offset your utility bill. This is an especially good option if your utility doesn’t offer a plan for 100% renewable energy. To see if community solar/wind is an option for you:
Check out Energy Sage’s community solar marketplace or Arcadia’s community solar offering
Search for “[YOUR STATE NAME] + community solar” on Google
ADDING THIS TO YOUR PLAN
If you haven’t already, go ahead and make a copy of the Home Electrification plan template before moving on.
Add the following to your Home Electrification plan in the Generating Electricity section in the Utility Plan row:
Utility name: Hopefully you already know this, but if you don’t check your electricity bill
Current plan % renewable: Percentage of electricity from renewable energy sources from your utility on your current plan based on your research
100% renewable plan available?: Is there a plan currently offered through your local utility to switch to 100% renewable?
Community solar or wind available?: Based on your research, is there a community solar/wind project you can join?
Is it a candidate for electrification?
If you are not already receiving 100% renewable electricity from your utility, AND you have:
An option to switch to a plan that does offer 100% renewable electricity OR
An available community solar/wind project in your area
Mark ‘Yes’ in Column F. Otherwise, mark ‘No’.
If this is a candidate for an electrification, choose a Priority level:
🟢 High: Given the low effort and cost associated with this action, recommend marking this as a High priority.
🟡 Medium: N/A
🔴 Low: N/A
Jeff’s plan as an example:
Rooftop solar
Rooftop solar provides the opportunity for a resident to generate their own renewable energy by converting sunlight shining onto your roof into electricity used in your home.
Rooftop solar can help ensure that your energy is 100% carbon-free irrespective of your utility’s energy mix, reduce energy costs when you don’t need to purchase as much (or any) power from your utility, and help you avoid losing power during a grid outage — all at once. Homes with solar energy can also often sell excess electricity back to your utilities, further ongoing energy costs and helping stabilize the grid. Importantly, when paired with a home battery, rooftop solar can often provide enough energy to serve a home’s electricity needs in its entirety, requiring little to no electricity from your utility.
Of course, despite falling costs and available rebates, installing rooftop solar is one of the more expensive pieces of home electrification (up front cost of install is estimated to be between $15-$30k)3. To be clear, government rebates as well as financing options do exist to help reduce the cost burden — but rebates don't cover nearly the full cost, and sharply rising interest rates in 2022 mean taking out a loan will be more expensive than before. Relatedly, because solar panels can last 25+ years, it is important to make sure your roof won't need replacement in this time — so any roof maintenance should be done first before installing solar panels. Lastly, if you are renting or own in a multi-family building, it may be more complex to get the proper permissions and coordinate instillation for rooftop solar.
One useful tool to get a ballpark estimate of your home’s solar potential, estimated up front installation costs & lifetime savings all in one place is Google Project Sunroof. Below is an example from my childhood home in the Chicago suburbs:
ADDING THIS TO YOUR PLAN
Add the following to your Home Electrification plan in the Generating Electricity section in the Rooftop solar row:
Installed? Does your home have solar panels installed on the roof today?
Feasibility to install? Do you have full ability, some ability, or no ability to install rooftop solar? Your answer will depend on if you' own or rent, or if you’re in a single family home or multi-unit dwelling
Roof requires repair? Does your roof need replacement or repair at this time?
Is it a candidate for electrification?
If:
You do not already have rooftop solar installed, AND
You have full ability or some ability to install rooftop solar AND
Your roof does not need repair (do this first)
Mark ‘Yes’ in Column F. Otherwise, mark ‘No’.
If this is a candidate for an electrification, choose a Priority level:
🟢 High: If you are not getting 100% renewable electricity from your utility, have full ability to install rooftop solar and you are able to comfortably afford the up-front cost.
🟡 Medium: If your utility is already providing you with 100% renewable energy, and/or if the up-front costs or logistics of installing solar presents challenges.
🔴 Low: If you only have some ability to install rooftop solar (other stakeholders need to be involved), or if up-front cost of solar is currently not feasible to undertake.
Jeff’s plan as an example:
Electrical service capacity
In addition to generating clean electricity, plugging in also refers to having sufficient electrical service capacity. Basically, this means having the foundation to support the increased demand for electricity when gas appliances are swapping out for electric alternatives as we move up the layers of our pyramid.
If you’re going to have more major appliances like EV chargers & heat pumps using electricity, you will need sufficient electricity flowing into your house for these machines to function. The more machines that use electricity, the higher the electrical flow needs to be. This flow rate of electricity is called current, and is measured in amps.
Here's what you really need to know:
Smaller homes (<3k sq. feet) require a minimum of 100 amps of electricity service coming into their house to support full electrification.
For larger homes (>3k sq. feet) and/or for maximum future-proofing, 200+ amps of electricity service is preferable.4
In addition to amperage of electricity service, you will also need enough open circuits on your electrical panel to add newly electrified appliances
In this section of your plan, we’ll guide you through understanding your current electrical service capacity and whether upgrades are needed. Doing this at the beginning of your electrification journey will help you avoid costly surprises and delays down the road.
Specifically, you’ll be exploring your electrical meter and your main electric service panel. These two devices will tell you all the information you need to know about your current service capacity. This is the part where you’ll likely need to explore your utility room 😀. Grab a flashlight, it may come in handy!
Electrical meter
In many cases, you can learn your home’s electricity service level by looking at the electrical meter, located outside. To find your electrical meter, look around where the main wires from your utility enter into your house. You’ll want to look for a box that looks like this:
If electrical service is delivered by overhead power lines, look for a metal pipe that runs down the outside of your home to the meter. Or, you may get your power delivered from an underground cable, in which case your meter will be attached to a service pipe from the ground.
Once you find it, look if your meter has its amperage rating listed on its face, or on a sticker somewhere else on its body — often prefixed with “CL”. Mine at home says “CL200”, which means it is rated to handle a maximum of 200 amps:
Hopefully, you have at least 100 amps coming into your home. However, older homes may have 60 amps of electrical service. As mentioned above, anything less than 100A will require a service upgrade to support electrification. 100A can work for smaller homes, but will also require careful planning and special efficiency interventions. 200A or more is the ideal for a fully electrified home.
If you don’t have at least 100A, or if you want to upgrade to 200A to future-proof your service, it is suggested to contact your utility and ask the maximum amperage service that your home can have without upgrading the service wires coming into your house. This will help determine the feasibility of upgrading your service at a cost that is reasonable.
ADDING THIS TO YOUR PLAN
Add the following to your Home Electrification plan in the Electrical Service Capacity section in the Electrical Meter row:
Amperage rating: The rating of your electric meter in amps.
Is it a candidate for electrification?
If you have:
Less than 200 amps of service coming into your home AND
You’ve confirmed with your utility that service can be increased without changing out the service wire which can be expensive, complex, and/or unfeasible
Mark ‘Yes’ in Column F. Otherwise, mark ‘No’.
If this is a candidate for an electrification, choose a Priority level:
🟢 High: If you have 60 amps of electricity service today. Upgrading is a prerequisite for your electrified home
🟡 Medium:
If you have 100A of service and live in a large home (>3k sq. feet)
If you have 100A of service in a smaller home (<3k sq. feet) and want to future-proof your home to support all-electrified appliances
🔴 Low: If you have 100A of service in a smaller home (<3k sq. feet) and are willing to do the proper “watt diet” planning to efficiently use your existing service. See here for details.
Jeff’s plan as an example:
Main electric service panel
In addition to checking out your electrical meter (outside), we’ll need to also take a look at your main electric service panel, located inside your home. We’re looking for 2 things:
The electrical service rating (in amps) of the panel. The electrical current actually reaching your appliances will be the lower between the panel and the electrical meter
Available circuit breakers on the panel. You’ll want to check if there’s space available on your current panel to accommodate for future electrification projects
The main service panel is the first stop for the electricity once it enters your home. This is where the main inflow of electricity branches out to all the individual circuits around your home. This is also called a circuit breaker panel, and most often looks like a gray metal box. It can be found in basements, utility rooms, or closets5:
To find the service rating of your panel, open the metal door (make sure the floor around it is dry first). You should see two rows of individual circuits that control different outlets/appliances in your home. At the top or bottom of the panel, you will see a main circuit breaker switch that controls power to the rest of the panel. This switch may be larger than the other breakers in the 2 rows of the panel.
The rating of this main circuit breaker is what we’re after because it tells us the service capacity of your home. Ideally this should match the amperage rating of your electricity meter covered above. The main circuit breaker should have the amperage written on the switch itself. Below is a picture of the 200 amp main panel in my home with the main breaker identified:
After noting the electrical service rating, look to see how many unused circuits there are in the 2 rows of branched circuit breakers. Assuming you’ll be adding net-new electrified objects to your home, you will need some free space. You should be able to tell if they are unused if they a) do not have a switch installed that can be toggled and/or b) are unlabeled.
ADDING THIS TO YOUR PLAN
Add the following to your Home Electrification plan in the Electrical Service Capacity section in the Main Electric Service Panel row:
Amperage rating: Record the service capacity you noted when looking at the main circuit breaker in your panel
Available circuit breakers: The number of free circuits that can be used for future electrified appliances
Is it a candidate for electrification?
If you have:
Less than 200 amps of service in your main service panel OR
You have <5 free circuit breaker switches available and don’t have a sub-panel installed to provide more space
Mark ‘Yes’ in Column F. Otherwise, mark ‘No’. Note that upgrades to your electric panel and electric meter would likely be done in tandem.
If this is a candidate for an electrification, choose a Priority level:
🟢 High:
If your panel is rated with the same amperage the same as your electric meter, and you gave your meter a ‘High’ priority level above (i.e. both 60A)
If you have no available space in your electrical panel
🟡 Medium:
If your panel is rated with the same amperage the same as your electric meter, and you gave your meter a ‘Medium’ priority level (i.e. both 100A)
If your panel is rated for 100A but your meter is rated for 200A. Upgrading your panel would help give you take full advantage of the service coming into your home.
If you <5 available circuit breakers in your electrical panel. Increasing this would provide more breathing room for future electrification projects
🔴 Low:
If your panel is rated with the same amperage the same as your electric meter, and you gave your meter a ‘Low’ priority level (i.e. both 100A)
Jeff’s plan as an example:
What’s Next?
If you’ve made it this far, congrats! You’re well on your way to electrifying. You should have filled out your home electrification plan for plugging in and it should look something like this.
In our next post in the series, we’ll continue adding to our plan by diving at getting around (i.e. your car) — the largest source of personal emissions for the average American. We’ll discuss how to think about and prioritize replacing your gas vehicle(s) with an EV, if you haven’t done so already.
Once our plan is complete, we will turn our attention to how to electrify each category. We’ll dive into solar panel installation, purchasing EVs, heat pumps, and much more! However, as you now are thinking of your electrified home as a system, it’s important to have a comprehensive plan first to prioritize what actions you should take, and in which order.
Stay tuned and thanks for reading!
Bastian, H., and C. Cohn. 2022. Ready to Upgrade: Barriers and Strategies for Residential Electrification. Washington, DC: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. www.aceee.org/research-report/b2206.
It is important to note that a good chunk of this comes from what are called non-associated renewable energy credits which operates much like a carbon offset. That is, these are renewable energy credits that don’t directly go into Concord’s power lines (they are used elsewhere) but are used to offset the remaining share of carbon-emitting electricity sources the town still purchases.
Electrify Everything in Your Home from Rewiring America. https://www.rewiringamerica.org/electrify-home-guide
A Pocket Guide to All Electric Retrofits of Single Family Homes: https://www.redwoodenergy.net/research/a-pocket-guide-to-all-electric-retrofits-of-single-family-homes
Note that older homes may have a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker panel that will look and function slightly differently. For the purposes of this guide, we will not be including information on fuse boxes as these are generally considered not suitable for an electrified home to begin with and should be swapped out.
https://www.damiasolar.com/