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Comment 2 for 2022 Scoping Plan Update - Building Decarbonization Workshop (sp22-buildings-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: Michael
Last Name: Brady
Email Address: mjbrady@acm.org
Affiliation: none - general public comment
Subject: A personal observation
Comment:
In principle, what you're talking about makes sense. HOWEVER, retrofit is problematic. It's not free - far from it - and available incentives are limited. Forcing it without help is tantamount to ordering buildings demolished or sold, forcing people to move out of state (if not become homeless) because replacement affordable housing is simply not available. Arguably, if applied indiscriminately, some people might want to address it as a taking. Anyway: As an example, I have a (lower, for my area) middle income, but high enough that practically none of the existing retrofit incentive programs apply. I have a newer (but still 25 years old) tract home. I'm unusual in my neighborhood in that I'm an owner/occupant (original owner); most are rentals. I have a newer a/c-gas heat system that has a 95%+ efficient heater, and a small solar panel installation. But those absorbed a large chunk of my savings; and at my age (70+) and semi-fixed income (pensions and social security) large loans are difficult to arrange. So some real-world considerations: * cooking - the gas range still works, and the useless over-range microwave/exhaust fan has been replaced with a real hood (that works); replacing with an induction range would require rewiring the house at large expense, since it would require a new electrical panel and interior wiring opening up walls; the high cost of the new range itself is far exceeded by the required electrical upgrades. Small incentives are available for the range itself; none are available for the other work. The only way replacing the range makes sense is if (when?) a complete kitchen remodel is done - which isn't going to happen any time soon. * water heat - the gas heater is probably 1/3 into its useful life, but like the range replacing it with electric would require another new panel (had to be done for the solar work several years ago already) and interior wiring. Similar issue with small incentives for the heater (which is more than double the cost of the gas heater, with the gas heater being the highest-efficiency model available that doesn't require an electric hookup), but none for the building modifications which cost far more. * HVAC - this is the one place where electrification may be supportable, when the existing system requires major work or replacement, _IF_ a heat pump can operate on the same capacity circuit as the existing central a/c. The heat pump, of course, needs to be capable of cost-effectively handling winter temps in the low 20s. * EV - I have one, purchased used because a new one, incentives or otherwise, were simply far too expensive. Like many people, I can't afford or justify (for my normal usage) spending $40-50K on a car. I got no incentive for the car, since ALL incentive programs are only for new. Adding a Level 2 charger cost more than $3K because of local code requirements related to a new 240V circuit. Again, there were few incentives: a small one from SMUD that covered about 1/2 the cost of the EVSE itself at Amazon, and a now-discontinued federal tax credit. But they made only a small difference in the net cost. Frankly, we as a society need to do better to get EVs into the hands of people who can't afford new cars, and to get charging retrofits into older, smaller houses that are typically rentals or owned by middle-class or lower income occupants. * Other building upgrades - I'm lucky: the house was built recently enough to have *some* insulation and decent windows. But doing the standard approach (force full energy code upgrade when other work is done) is tantamount to requiring demolition - total gut and rebuild. $500K work on a house worth $500K doesn't make sense. * Solar+storage - this is a great idea, but has been used by SMUD to stop installation of rooftop solar. Rooftop solar in the first place is expensive, but adding a battery more than doubles the cost. Incentives or otherwise, this makes a grid-connected system unjustifiable from a financial standpoint - essentially infinite payback period. Where are the incentive programs for adding storage to existing rooftop solar at an affordable price? OK, off my soapbox. Just, please, consider the implications on existing building owners when talking about forced retrofits.
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2021-12-13 10:38:11
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