Section 3: Assessing Your Beneficial Electrification Opportunity

Residential Space Heating Calculator

How to use the calculator

The potential impact of your residential space heating program is dependent upon the climate of your location, the predominant heating fuel, and the cost of energy. To assess your opportunity, let’s use the Building Electrification Calculator to generate helpful results based on a few general data points.

Please enter your:

  1. IECC climate zone

  2. Area’s home heating fuel mix

  3. Price per gallon of propane or fuel oil (Note: a natural gas option will soon be added)

  4. Price per kWh for electricity

Find Your Climate Zone

Find your climate zone on this Department of Energy webpage: https://basc.pnnl.gov/building-assemblies/climate-zone-lookup.

 

Building Electrification Calculator

This calculator models the possible cost savings when upgrading from a low-efficiency fossil fuel furnace to an efficient ductless mini-split heat pump, as installed in a pre-1980s era home. See our full methodology below for more specifics used in our modeling.




Yearly Electric Savings:

This self-assessment illustrates the broad opportunity for a heat pump/retrofit beneficial electrification program in your area. Understanding the specific local opportunity can be improved with localized energy audits. This assessment does not qualify as a state-mandated, energy efficiency resource assessment. 

  • The data for the Building Electrification Calculator is derived from 32 modeling runs within the 2018 version of the Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) software from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

    A standard house was used in the first 16 climate zones, with the exception that central air conditioners were excluded in zones 3C, 4C, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, and 7C. Each of the 16 locations was modeled with low-efficiency propane furnaces and fuel oil furnaces, and their subsequent upgrade to a ductless mini-split heat pump. We did not model buildings in zone 8 due to modeling and technology limitations which are Alaska specific.

    This standard house built within BEopt is representative of a low-efficiency, single-family residence built in the United States in the early to mid-1970s. The house's building materials and energy efficiency reflect that era, so the house would commonly be seen by electric utilities as a prime candidate for energy program participation.

    For the purpose of clear results with the Building Electrification Calculator, the only upgrade performed on this house is the removal of the low-efficiency propane or fuel oil furnace, the central air conditioner (where relevant), and their replacement with an efficient ductless mini-split heat pump.

    Pre-1980s HOUSE: 1600 Sq Ft, 3 bed, 2 bath

    EXISTING

    Attic: R-13 fiberglass batt Walls: R-11 fiberglass batt Crawlspace: R-11 fiberglass batt

    Windows: Clear, single pane, metal Air Leakage: 15 ACH50, 0.55 ACHn Space Heating: 80% AFUE propane furnace

    Space Cooling: SEER 8 Central Air Conditioner, or None (depending on climate zone)

    Water Heating: Fossil fuel standard (.59 - .62 EF) Lighting: 100% incandescent

    UPGRADE

    Attic: R-13 fiberglass batt Walls: R-11 fiberglass batt Crawlspace: R-11 fiberglass batt

    Windows: Clear, single pane, metal Air leakage: 15 ACH50, 0.55 ACHn

    Space Heating: Ductless Mini-Split, SEER 20, HSPF 10.3 Space Cooling: Ductless Mini-Split, SEER 20, HSPF 10.3

    Water Heating: Fossil fuel standard (.59 - .62 EF) Lighting: 100% incandescent

    Note: See the “Methodology” section on the Section 3 landing page for additional information about how the calculators were developed.

 
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General Steps and Considerations

 

Self-Assessments for Transportation Electrification