Direct fossil fuel consumption by buildings, burned in water heaters, furnaces (boilers), and other heating sources, accounts for nearly 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the US.
Switching to an electric system that powers heating through renewable energy sources, rather than coal, oil, and natural gas – the process known as building electrification or building decarbonisation – is a crucial step towards achieving global net-zero climate goals.
However, most building decarbonisation models have not accounted for seasonal fluctuations in energy demand for heating or cooling. This makes it a challenge to predict what an eventual switch to cleaner, all-electric heating in buildings could mean for the nation’s electrical grid, especially during peaks in energy use.
A new study by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan School), Oregon State University (OSU), and the nonprofit...