The hidden carbon footprint of home heating: How HVAC systems accelerate climate change
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· 6 min read
Refrigerants, power sources and manufacturing practices collectively make HVAC systems contribute to climate change, and can even accelerate its pace. When facility developers, households and providers of HVAC services think about the environmental cost, they often take a short-sighted approach that centers on the immediate energy output or the size of their utility bills.
However, that information does not give the complete picture of how heating and cooling a building contribute to climate change. Without all the details, it becomes difficult to make positive changes.
Gathering reliable information is especially important because HVAC systems exacerbate climate change. Access to reliable data helps people make informed decisions that support environmental sustainability while keeping costs down and ensuring building comfort throughout the seasons.
Comparing electric heating designs against natural gas alternatives is a common exercise, especially as people seek to save money while making sustainable choices and enjoying effective building comfort. Parties will achieve better results by conducting life cycle assessments and life cycle cost analyses over extended periods. How should they do that, and why does it matter?
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Measuring the true costs of climate control systems requires assessing numerous factors. Examine both the environmental impacts of manufacturing and the use of materials, as well as operational energy consumption.
A life cycle assessment calculates the total environmental impacts, while the life cycle cost is a complete, end-to-end analysis of a product's costs. Some experts have performed both of these when determining whether to renovate residential heating systems and which strategies to pursue. One example came from Switzerland, where researchers learned that incorporating bio-based insulation materials struck a balance between reduced¹ environmental impacts and lower energy-related operating costs.
When comparing electric heating versus other options, use standardized life cycle assessment metrics, including greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. Consider manufacturing methods and the emissions associated with obtaining and transporting the resources to run the climate control systems.
Additionally, measure performance in the context of energy, the environment and economic impacts. Assess the first prong by calculating the total energy consumption. Determining the environmental performance requires measuring greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption. Finally, calculate a system’s economic performance with 30-year cost projections.
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Heating methods that appear less expensive operationally may carry hidden environmental costs in embodied emissions from equipment production. Meanwhile, approaches that seem more energy-intensive up front may deliver superior sustainability outcomes when analyzed holistically.
It is also important to realize that ongoing innovation has made some previously less efficient heating methods worth a look. People may also want to explore options they had not previously considered. For example, new ventless gas fireplaces achieve nearly 100% efficiency² and produce fewer fumes than other options.
It is understandable to begin by calculating the cost of various fuel sources. That information can influence equations, but it should not dictate entire decisions because the environmental costs go deeper and have far-reaching impacts that persist beyond this generation.
Another reason to look beyond the surface is that the overall environmental and financial costs can vary depending on the type of building and proposed or recently passed legislative changes. For example, installing an environmentally responsible option in a large apartment building has positive environmental effects that become more noticeable than those from decisions made for a single dwelling.
Colorado legislators have announced a plan to eliminate natural gas emissions by 2050³ and commence a gradual phasing out until then. In that case, landlords, property managers and other relevant parties should engage with providers of HVAC services to learn other options.
Even though the deadline may seem far away, it will arrive sooner than people may anticipate, so it is good practice to learn about compliance possibilities now. When people feel rushed or under pressure, they are more likely to make decisions that may not be the best options for the environment or their finances. Getting informed now helps many feel more confident about this statewide ruling and others like it.
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Examining the supply chain and associated emissions can also illuminate home heating impacts. Tracking aspects such as how far a heating appliance or its source material must travel before use provides valuable information to incorporate into associated assessments. Heating systems that use wood fuel are more sustainable than⁴ their fossil-fuel counterparts, partially because they derive from renewable natural sources.
Learning about heating system manufacturing sites is also useful to calculate transport-related emissions. Some factories use renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to reduce their overall environmental footprints. Similarly, companies may implement resource-reduction strategies to minimize water and waste during production. Those efforts translate into greener systems, whether for electric heating, air conditioners or other climate-control appliances.
The supply chain-related emissions even extend to installation. If someone can get an installer who lives in the surrounding community, hiring them will be less emissions-intensive than using the HVAC services of someone who works at a significant distance from a new heating system. It is not always possible to find competent and available local installers, but when the option exists, it minimizes the environmental footprint.
Some companies require their suppliers to transition to carbon-free energy when available. One example is Microsoft, which asks those entities, upon request, to use those electricity sources⁵ for all goods and services provided to the brand by 2030. Considering that the company has numerous physical facilities, including data centers, those sites need environmentally responsible heating and cooling equipment. Microsoft can leverage its name recognition to encourage other businesses to follow suit.
The more people dig into the details, the clearer it becomes that they cannot merely analyze energy usage, utility bills or any other single metric to develop an accurate picture of a heating system’s environmental impact. Even when comparing different fuel sources for part of the calculations, it is also important to further analyze by identifying lesser-known or infrequently considered carbon footprint contributors. This can then determine the associated costs to the environment and to bank accounts in the near term and over the total usage period.
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