A Guide to Electrifying Your Home

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Bea Copeland started her reno from the ground up, which gave her ample opportunity to factor in energy efficiency. With hindsight (and some forward thinking), she shares what she’s learned.

Meet Bea Copeland, owner of the “Cabbage” — a portmanteau of cabin and cottage. Bea is a multi-talented professional organizer and DIY-er who has undertaken the task of eco-consciously renovating a dilapidated cabin in New York’s Hudson Valley. She recently participated in a workshop offered by Soapbox Project and Rewiring America on how to electrify your home. Follow Bluedot’s Instagram to watch Bea transform her new home with sustainability in mind.

When I started my gut home renovation in 2021, I had the unique opportunity to reconsider all the systems in the house. The furnace was broken, the copper plumbing was busted and ripped out in places, and the electrical panel was an outdated mess of DIY wiring jobs by previous owners. Knowing I eventually wanted to use a solar energy provider, I made the move to electrify everything in my home.

Most homes are tied to the electrical grid, meaning that electrical service comes into the house and is distributed via the electrical panel. Older homes traditionally have 100 Amp panels to power everything electric in the home, and now the National Building Code requires at minimum a 100A panel. But, as more electric options continue to become available for the home, it’s a good idea to upsize to a 200A panel if you can. An upsized panel allows more power to be distributed to your home — think an EV charging station, electric appliances and machines, and room to grow. At my home, I hired an electrician whose first job was to install a 200A panel from which all the house’s electric systems would draw power. 

Now that I had the right panel to electrify my house, I worked with an HVAC contractor to select an air source heat pump system that would both heat and cool my home. Because I live in the Northeast, they recommended a cold climate heat pump that would still work in freezing temperatures. For the first floor, they installed a central heat pump with ducts running through the attic to eight different locations on the first floor. In the basement, I couldn’t run ducts, so they installed two mini split units in strategic locations. If you’re scratching your head with all these HVAC terms (I did, too), Rewiring America’s Electrify Home Guide is a great resource to understand what the HVAC options are and how to talk to your HVAC contractor about what you're looking for.

The next step was water heating and appliances. My plumber (who was also my HVAC contractor) recommended a heat pump water heater (HPWH). I ended up going with a tankless option because of the limited space in my mechanical closet. But for the greatest efficiency, keep in mind that the larger the HPWH tank, the more energy it will retain — think of your tank as a hot water battery. 

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As for appliances, I bought an electric washer and dryer with a high Energy Star rating. I have a gas range, but if I want to go completely electric in my kitchen, the next step will be looking into radiant cooktops, induction burners, and electric ovens  — for all of which there are many great options on the market.

Now that my home is almost completely electrified (everything but the propane stove), I’m looking to transition my energy service to solar. I’ve signed up with Energysage to receive multiple quotes from solar energy suppliers in my area. Before doing this research, I thought I would have to shell out several thousand dollars to buy solar panels, but leasing options from many major companies mean that I can immediately participate. And with the new rebates and tax credits created by the IRA, there are even more savings on the back end.

Electrifying the home to be powered by renewable energy is a huge step we can take to cut down our carbon footprint. Even if you’re not gut renovating, or if you’re a renter, you can implement some of these changes immediately. This guide to the IRA is a great resource to understand the IRA incentives, including what equipment in your home can be electrified. Another great resource comes courtesy of North Carolina State University, which has teamed up with a number of other organizations, including EnergySage, to help you figure out your state’s policies, incentives, and rebates. 

Top places to consider going electric: 
• vehicles
• heating systems for home and water
• stoves, ovens, and other cooking devices
• clothes washing machinery

Next steps: 
•Use the IRA calculator to see what kind of incentives your household is eligible for
•Use Rewiring America’s Electrify Everything Guide to understand what appliances you can swap out for electric
•Make a plan for what appliances you will buy and when (over the next 10 years)
•Look into your electricity supplier options, and pick the greenest
•Keep a record of your purchases for tax filing

Want to know more about Bea? View the first episode of the Cabbage Dispatch.

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Bea Copeland
Bea Copeland
Bea Copeland is the millennial Martha Stewart. With a colorful background in writing, video production, and professional organizing, Bea created the popular apartment-makeover series Bea Organized for Refinery29 and Amazon Prime. As the co-host and co-EP of Cheddar’s first lifestyle show, Cheddar @ Home, Bea’s expertise grew to include home design, home improvement, and sustainable living. Bea’s most recent project is the 2-year gut renovation of an abandoned Upstate cabin into a cottage, which she aptly calls The Cabbage. Her work was featured on the Refinery29's series, DIY Dream House, where Bea created complex DIY projects including custom concrete countertops and repurposing an oil tank into a fire pit and pollinator planters. She is currently putting the finishing touches on The Cabbage in Upstate NY.
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