Climate Connections: The most powerful local climate solution? Upgrading your home
Shanti Devins
In the summer of 2021, I was done being hot and uncomfortable in my home. My house, like many in Missoula, was built without air conditioning, and high temperatures coupled with wildfire smoke impacted our ability to open our windows and adequately cool our space overnight.
With 22 consecutive days above 90 degrees here in Missoula, it was the same year a deadly heat wave hit Portland, Oregon, another area with low per-capita air conditioning, resulting in 72 heat-related deaths that June.
Heat is the number one climate-related health risk in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control, but it isn’t always treated with the seriousness it deserves until its impacts are being felt in real time.
I was finally able to connect with a contractor the following winter, and they talked me into installing a mini-split heat pump – a technology that doesn’t require ducting and can provide both air conditioning and heating. Now, in my work with Climate Smart Missoula, I’m an evangelist for heat pumps and other efficient, electrified systems as powerful solutions to home comfort and the climate crisis. Join me to learn more on Saturday, May 17th at our 3rd annual Electrify Homes tour – the perfect chance to explore these systems in person!
Why electrify? A climate & health solution
Combined, commercial and residential buildings are Missoula's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Many appliances in our buildings are still powered by natural gas, which is primarily methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In the first 20 years after it’s released, the heating impact of methane is 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, which means we must decrease our methane extraction and use immediately if we want to avoid catastrophic warming. Our best way to do that is to electrify our homes and buildings.
Even in Montana, where 39% of our electricity comes from fossil-fuel sources, making the change to efficient electric appliances still reduces pollution (especially in the case of heat pumps). Plus, initiatives such as Missoula’s Green Power Program and the Solar for All program, if implemented, promise to accelerate the transition to clean electricity in our community and state. The more we can electrify now, the more impact these and other clean energy projects will have as they come online.
We’re also learning more about how electric appliances can also double as health solutions by helping to improve indoor air quality. Numerous studies have linked burning methane indoors – especially when using a gas stove – to childhood asthma, blood cancers like leukemia, and more. By removing polluting appliances from our homes and upgrading to clean, all-electric ones, we can protect our health and planet while also improving personal comfort.
Go electric – learn from neighbors
Now is the perfect time to start or expand your electrification journey - and Climate Smart Missoula’s Electrify Homes Tour on Saturday, May 17th can help give you a jumpstart!
The tour will showcase three homes in the Rattlesnake that have upgraded their spaces by installing heat pump heating and cooling systems, weatherizing, adding solar, transitioning to induction cooking, embracing EV home charging and more! Homeowners will share lessons learned and their overall experiences going electric, and attendees will have an opportunity to network and engage in deeper conversations with neighbors and industry professionals post-tour at a backyard happy hour.
Going electric is a process that requires planning, budgeting and understanding the intricacies of your home. Luckily, there is a community of neighbors and experts here to support these efforts, including the Electrify Missoula team and Missoula County’s Home Upgrade Hub. Plus, there are local, regional and federal rebates available to help offset costs. While it might feel overwhelming at the start, it’s doable and the important thing is to start – even if that’s just with personal education and curiosity.
The summer of 2021 may have been one for the books, but we know summers are trending hotter in general and the number of days above 90 degrees across Western Montana is projected to increase by 12-20 by midcentury. We have an opportunity now to both build resilience to the impacts of climate change and to help course correct.
And we can do it without a scarcity mentality.
Many of these all-electric appliances, including mini splits, electric cars, induction stoves and heat pump water heaters offer a better experience overall. They are cleaner, quieter, faster and often result in significant energy savings over time. We can get this right if we act now. So please join us this Saturday to connect and learn more about how neighbors are experiencing and enjoying these efficient technologies firsthand.
Saturday, May 17:
- 2-4 PM: Electrify Homes Tour: Register here.
- 4-5 PM: Backyard Happy Hour
For a deeper dive on going electric, visit ElectrifyMissoula.org.
Shanti Devins is the Program Director at Climate Smart Missoula. Climate Smart Missoula brings this Climate Connections column to twice per month. Learn more about our work, support our efforts, and sign up for our e-newsletter at missoulaclimate.org.