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Embodied energy and carbon

steve_smith | Posted in General Questions on

I am interested in electrifying my natural gas appliances for greenhouse gas reasons.  My PV system is oversized to allow for my heat pumps to eventually replace my natural gas water heater and furnace and still be net zero for home energy use.    My natural gas use that I am displacing is <400 therms per year.  What is preventing me from pulling the trigger is that my current water heater and furnace still work and I’m hung up on the embodied carbon of manufacturing new equipment.  I can’t find information that helps me know what the embodied energy and carbon of new appliances are.  Does this information exist?  Am I overthinking this?

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Replies

  1. wayno_from_vt | | #1

    I'd like to know about this too. We have a nat gas boiler and an indirect hot water tank. I have PV and am researching switch to inductive cooking, adding back up batteries, and HPHWH. Then, I'll turn the gas on from October - Mar as back up for the HPs and wood stove we have.

  2. Jon_R | | #2

    > My PV system is oversized

    If you replace your nat gas use, you will put less net energy into the grid. Which will probably cause the utility to burn more natural gas to replace it. So the greenhouse gas calculation is even more complicated.

  3. JC72 | | #3

    Yes, you're over thinking it. Worrying about embodied carbon is just another level down the rabbit hole of human misery. Instead, do a cost benefit analysis on how long it will take you to recoup the cost of the new equipment.

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