Requiring Building Electrification Is Necessary
Requiring building electrification is necessary to improve health, reduce risk, ensure equity, and save money. This coming Tuesday the Davis City Council will be asked to finalize the city’s new Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) with the goal of putting the City on the…
Slow but Steady: The Transition to an All-Electric Home
Monica Parisi is making big changes to her East Davis home that promise benefits to her and the environment. First things first: so, in 2015 she installed solar panels, which set a strong foundation for an all-electric home. Rooftop solar gives Monica access to inexpensive…
Rising Bills: Action on Home Energy More Urgent Than Ever
Everywhere Cool Davis goes these days — online, NextDoor, in-person at the Davis Farmers Market — everyone is talking about their high energy bills. We all are experiencing the impacts of higher natural gas rates implemented last year but not felt until this winter when…
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: Actually a Climate Change Busting Bill
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA for short) would be more aptly named the Climate Change Mitigation Act. At $369 billion, it is easily the biggest investment in US history aimed at slowing climate change. A significant amount of this total will be directed…
CAAP Cheat Sheet: GHG Emissions, Forecast, Targets, Actions, and Timelines
Come hear Kerry Daane Loux answer questions about the CAAP at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, at Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road. Loux is a Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Davis and Project Manager for CAAP. For a PDF of the full…
Renewable Energy Integration Highlights from 2022
Twelve years ago, the Integrated Renewable Energy Systems Network (IRESN) idea was to direct thoughtful, technically well-grounded attention to renewable integration, especially integration of local energy transitions. Then large solar and wind power plant investment and integration accelerated. Local energy integration and collaboration is also…
Council Members Favor Voluntary Approach to Home Electrification
The Davis City Council voted Tuesday night in favor of a voluntary approach to building electrification, at least for several years, before reassessing whether to make mandatory a requirement that homeowners replace gas appliances with electric at the end of their useful life. The 4-1…
The Electrification Path to Our Fossil Free Future
Since our founding in 2010, Cool Davis has worked alongside the City of Davis to encourage households to transition away from the use of fossil fuels in our homes, cars, and everyday life. The need for these changes becomes more urgent every day, as climate…
Menlo Park Company Announces First 100% Landfill Biogas Pilot Project for Yolo Co
MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Clean power generation provider Mainspring Energy announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Yolo County, California, to pilot a Mainspring Linear Generator running biogas at the Yolo County Central Landfill. In its first 100% landfill biogas pilot…
Landfill Award to Improve Waste-to-Fuel Processes
The Yolo County Central Landfill (YCCL) has been selected for an award of $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to improve the current science and infrastructure to turn waste streams into clean, renewable fuel. The DOE grant to the YCCL – one…
How Smart Electrical Panels Manage Loads Possibly Avoiding the Need for Upgrades
We live in a 1991 townhouse in Davis. My goal and dream has always been to move away from our current natural gas system and fully use electricity from the sun. But how is that actually achieved? Many smaller and older homes begin life with…
Get Home Electrification Tools and Support from the Switch Is On
The Switch Is On is a collaborative campaign founded in 2019 that supports home electrification by providing tools, support, and resources for Californians, including homeowners as well as contractors. The Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC)’s goal is to educate everyone about the importance of home electrification. What…
CHOC Energy: Free Decarbonization Services for Low-Income Residents
by José Tomás Díaz CHOC Energy offers free weatherization services through the PG&E Energy Savings Assistance Program (ESA) in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo counties, and is planning to incorporate electrification into it’s offerings soon as well. Through CHOC, low-income residents can…
Renewed Rebates, Utility Assistance, and No-Cost Income-Eligible Solar
Updates and standbys from our Incentives and Assistance page Utility Bill Assistance Programs CARE and FERA are discount programs that help eligible customers pay their energy bills. Over 1.4 million customers receive a bill discount through these two programs. Complete an online CARE/FERA enrollment form…
All-Electric Heat Pumps FAQs
By David Springer, Kristin Heinemeier, Bill Dakin, Nathan Breeding, and Dick Bourne, with contributions from Leslie Crenna The featured photo for this article is the work of Cool Davis volunteer Yvonne Hunter. Q. What is a heat pump? A. heat pump is a well-established and…
Goin’ All-In with an All-Electric Home
My wife Susan and I recently completed a transition to an all-electric home. Those old enough to remember the “Live Better Electrically” campaigns of the late 1950’s may think this is folly. The Westinghouse “total electric homes” promoted from that era promised a “home where…
Increasing Energy Bills Causing Concern in Our Community
Did your energy bill skyrocket last month? Energy bills have gone up and customers are noticing! If you want to understand what’s going on, the first step is to understand that most energy bills in our area reflect two energy sources: natural gas and electricity….
Turn off the Carbon Pump and Turn on the Heat Pump! Heat Pumps Explained in Basic Terms
Most homes in our area use natural gas for heating. When natural gas is burned in your furnace, it can be pretty efficient — up to about 95% efficient if you have an advanced system. But even the best natural gas heaters have some losses,…
Clean Energy Home Workshop Follow Up Video FINALLY Here!
THE CLEAN ENERGY HOME WORKSHOP VIDEO IS READY FOR VIEWING, FINALLY! The video from the very popular event this past August 1, 2021, is a fabulous resource for anyone looking to make a plan to incoporate efficient, all-electric heating and cooling systems in their home…
Daily Choices DO Make a Difference
The average person’s daily choices can still make a big difference in fighting climate change – and getting governments and utilities to tackle it, too Tom Ptak, Texas State University The average American’s everyday interactions with energy sources are limited. They range from turning appliances on…
