In the third episode of our series on sustainability strategies of the future, IMEG’s Adam McMillen discusses cold climate electrification. Essentially, this is a means to providing heat in cold climates without burning carbon-emitting fossil fuels. In areas with cold winters, McMillen explains, we currently use natural gas-burning furnaces or boilers for heat. Electricity, however, is used to power our cooling systems in the warmer months. While electricity is produced predominately by coal-burning plants, there is a trend by utilities toward greater use of renewable energy as a source. “We see our electric grid getting cleaner, year after year,” says McMillen. “So, imagine a future in which our grid is fully clean, and instead of using fossil-fueled boilers we’re using some sort of electrically-based heating equipment. As a result, we would then have perfectly clean heating and cooling for our homes and our businesses.”

Also in this series:

• “Embodied Carbon in the Crosshairs of Desginers, Bill Gates, and Girl Scouts”
• “The Chiller Reality: Your MEP Equipment is Full of Embodied Carbon”
• “Call in the Reserves: Thermal Energy Storage to the Rescue”
• “Battery Storage: Clean Energy for a Rainy Day — and Peak Demand Relief”
• “Five Steps to Begin the Process of Decarbonizing Your Building”