5 ms·

The county where we live is increasingly moving to unreliable sources of energy and changing their building code to mandate only electric sources. We're worried

The county where we live is increasingly moving to unreliable sources of energy and changing their building code to mandate only electric sources. We're worried about a texas like winter grid emergency so we'll probably have to waste some money on a natural gas generator.

linsomniac 4y ago
Are you sure that the thermostat lock would, in this case, prevent the heating from being set above the freeze point? Because the way it worked in the situation cited here, residents were unable to set their thermostats below 78 degrees. In other words: The thermostat was not entirely disabled, allowing unlimited indoor temperatures, you just couldn't go lower than 78.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- josephcsible 4y ago
  It was a lower limit this time because it was summer, so people wanted to run the A/C. The equivalent program in the winter will be an upper limit instead, since then people will want to run the heater.
mistrial9 4y ago
all-electric heating, cooking and cooling is part of a transition plan for lowering carbon emissions. Importantly, electricity sources can be substituted over time more economically, to replace more polluting energy. Serious cold is not the energy emergency they are talking about today, though your concern is for your very life, so respect to that of course. As your ancestors did, you have to look out for yourself first, acknowledged. The move to electricity is modern and not the enemy here though, IMHO.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- linsomniac 4y ago
  It seems crazy to be building new houses with natural gas. I would think with people staring down the barrel of $5 petrol, it would feel more like fossil fuel's days are numbered. Building efficiency and high efficiency heat pumps (for HVAC and water) make electric look pretty compelling. Building a new house targeted at today seems really shortsighted. I'm in a 50 year old house, I can see why you'd build a new house looking to the future where gas isn't a thing.
  - denimnerd42 4y ago
    it’s fine to plan to be in all electric future. but a 50 year old house would have had its hot water water heater replaced a few times. there’s no reason one can’t go there when it makes sense.
    - linsomniac 4y ago
      Possibly, as long as accommodations are made... For me to add electric hot water to my house would be ~$5-7K, and has the additional issue that my hot water heater is not really in a place that a heat pump hot water heater would work so it'd likely have to be relocated. But, the electric future is much, much closer than 50 years, probably even closer than a hot water heater replacement.

linsomniac 4y ago

Are you sure that the thermostat lock would, in this case, prevent the heating from being set above the freeze point? Because the way it worked in the situation cited here, residents were unable to set their thermostats below 78 degrees. In other words: The thermostat was not entirely disabled, allowing unlimited indoor temperatures, you just couldn't go lower than 78.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
josephcsible 4y ago
It was a lower limit this time because it was summer, so people wanted to run the A/C. The equivalent program in the winter will be an upper limit instead, since then people will want to run the heater.

mistrial9 4y ago

all-electric heating, cooking and cooling is part of a transition plan for lowering carbon emissions. Importantly, electricity sources can be substituted over time more economically, to replace more polluting energy. Serious cold is not the energy emergency they are talking about today, though your concern is for your very life, so respect to that of course. As your ancestors did, you have to look out for yourself first, acknowledged. The move to electricity is modern and not the enemy here though, IMHO.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
linsomniac 4y ago
It seems crazy to be building new houses with natural gas. I would think with people staring down the barrel of $5 petrol, it would feel more like fossil fuel's days are numbered. Building efficiency and high efficiency heat pumps (for HVAC and water) make electric look pretty compelling. Building a new house targeted at today seems really shortsighted. I'm in a 50 year old house, I can see why you'd build a new house looking to the future where gas isn't a thing.
- denimnerd42 4y ago
  it’s fine to plan to be in all electric future. but a 50 year old house would have had its hot water water heater replaced a few times. there’s no reason one can’t go there when it makes sense.
  - linsomniac 4y ago
    Possibly, as long as accommodations are made... For me to add electric hot water to my house would be ~$5-7K, and has the additional issue that my hot water heater is not really in a place that a heat pump hot water heater would work so it'd likely have to be relocated. But, the electric future is much, much closer than 50 years, probably even closer than a hot water heater replacement.