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Typical electric dryers in the US are vented and function by creating very hot air in the dryer drum, basically baking the clothes to dry them out. Hot air is exhausted to the exterior.
The other category of dryers is ventless.
Ventless dryers have a condensing coil and function by running very cold fluid through the coil and pulling moisture out of the air (creating condensation on the coil) before it goes into the drum with the laundry.
Did you know that while our homes and businesses currently use nearly 70% of California’s electricity, those same buildings are responsible for only a quarter of California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions? This is in part because California has committed itself to a clean energy future and has set ambitious goals to curb GHG emissions from building construction and operations.
As part of its regular three-year cycle, the California Energy Commission (CEC) recently approved the language for the 2022 Energy Code, which will apply to projects submitted for building permit on or after Jan 1, 2023.
The CEC’s mission is to create policy that will reduce energy usage and costs; limit environmental impacts of energy generation and use; and ensure a safe, resilient, and reliable supply of energy. This code cycle includes three measures of note:
Encouraging electric heat pump technology for space and water heating, which consumes less energy and produces fewer emissions than gas-powered units;
Establishing electric-ready requirements for single-family homes to position owners to use cleaner electric heating, cooking and electric vehicle (EV) charging options whenever they choose to adopt those technologies; and by
Expanding solar photovoltaic (PV) system and battery storage standards to make clean energy available onsite and complement the state’s progress toward a 100 percent clean electricity grid.
In partnership with 3C-REN’s Energy Code Connect program, In Balance is pleased to present three webinars on the upcoming code changes.
Tuesday, March 1st, 9:00-10:30 AM: 2022 Energy Code Preview for Single Family Projects
Tuesday, March 15th, 9:00-10:30 AM: 2022 Energy Code Preview for Multifamily Projects
Tuesday, March 17th, 9:00-10:30 AM: 2022 Energy Code Preview for Nonresidential Projects
Registration Required - click event for more information.
For more information on these and other Tri-County 3C-REN sponsored classes go to https://www.3c-ren.org/calendar-of-events-and-trainings.
The TECH Clean California initiative was recently launched with the aim of accelerating progress toward California’s mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The initiative, which incentivizes home electrification, is geared toward eligible contractors and focuses on both Heat Pump HVAC and Heat Pump Water Heater installations in existing single and multifamily homes. It will target 40% of the program benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities, supporting more equitable access to sustainable technologies.
Enrolled contractors can earn at minimum $3,000 per installation, and up to $6,600 depending on the location of the project. For single family existing homes, contractors can earn:
$3,000 for any Heat Pump (HP) HVAC installation
$3,100 for replacing a gas water heater with a Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH)
$1,000 for replacing an electric water heater with a HPWH.
For multifamily existing homes, the incentives vary based on whether upgrades are for individual or multiple apartment units, as well as the type of system being replaced. There are also incentives available for HVAC systems serving common areas and for electrical panel upgrades. A full outline of the incentives can be found here.
Additionally, certain regions of California, including parts of the Central Coast are located within enhanced regions where local utilities, like Central Coast Community Energy, have partnered with TECH to offer an increased incentive for contractors enrolled and participating in the partner program. The enhanced incentives for Heat Pump HVAC installations in single family homes increase with the efficiency of the unit installed and by following Quality Installation Measures, such as duct sealing/replacement and testing.
Contractors interested in participating can fill out an online enrollment form or contact TECH.contractor@energy-solution.com. Those looking to find enrolled contractors can visit The Switch Is On’s Contractor Directory. Visit https://energy-solution.com/tech-incentives/ for more information on the program, including handouts outlining the incentives, maps showing baseline and enhanced regions, and more.
As California and local jurisdictions continue to push our homes toward electric appliances, a hurdle that building professionals must consider is the electrical panel size. In the 1950s it was a 30-amp panel; the 1960s saw the 60-amp panel become common and since then, it has increased to 100-, 150-, or even a 200-amp panel typically for a new home today. In some of our largest custom home projects we are seeing the build team opt for an even larger 400-amp panel.
Some of this increase is coming from generally more electrified lives, but in California, new codes requiring panel space or minimum breaker sizes for water heating, EV charging and PV solar systems are also contributing factors.
Some panel basics. Within each panel, appliances are assigned circuit breakers sized to an amperage. Each circuit breaker only allows so much current (amps) through, before it turns power off (aka “trips”) through that breaker. This is a safety precaution, to keep you from plugging too many things into the same outlet. This means that the home’s electrical panel must have enough space, in amps, to accommodate each device in the home. Breakers need to be oversized for each circuit or appliance since an appliance’s maximum amp draw is typically at startup and then idles to a lower amp draw as it operates.
However, it’s important to note that a 200amp panel can house more than 200amps in breakers, this is why you need to have a Electric Load Calculation prepared to determine the actual panel requirement.
As many new construction single-family residences switch their appliances over from gas to electric. Here is a short list of the average breaker size by appliance for many of the transitioning appliances.
Utilizing these ballpark estimates of appliances, we see how important it is to consider your home’s breaker requirements, especially in a remodel. If you’re planning to build a new home or tackling a remodel it’s important to discuss the electrical requirements of your proposed appliance package with your building professionals.
