r/electrifyeverything

I'm reading so many comments on this sub by people who are completely uneducated on Nuclear.

I want to be clear I have no problems theoretically with Nuclear in that it is carbon neutral. I have massive problems with it because it is expensive and slow to build.

The fossil fuel industry and culture war warriors love Nuclear because it delays the transition.

Let's give some simple facts to ensure everyone understands how stupid Nuclear is right now.

There was over 650 GW of renewable energy added last year.

There was 3 GW of Nuclear energy added and 3 GW retired.

There are a total of 2 SMR's in the world today.

Sure nuclear will have some real uses going forward but it's an awful technology right now because renewables plus batteries are so much cheaper and quicker to deploy. Batteries may improve significantly as well.

My wife and I recently bought a house in Alameda, CA that was built in 1929. It needed a ton of work, and right after closing, we discovered a gas leak. Given that the gas-fired furnace, water heater, and fireplaces were all ancient anyway, we decided to skip the patch job and cut the gas line entirely, going fully electric. (also, our local electric power company is fully carbon-free! more details on that below...)

Here's what we changed in the renovation:

• Heating/Cooling: Replaced the gas furnace with a central heat pump system.
• Water Heating: Swapped the old tank for a heat pump water heater.
• Fireplaces: Capped and disabled the gas fireplaces.
• Appliances: Fully electric already, but we are replacing the electric resistance cooktop with an induction stove.
• Gas Line: Completely shut off gas service with the utility and canceled the account.
• Insulation: Sucked out old insulation in all 3 attic spaces, added radiant barrier, filled in new insulation.

We’re fortunate that our local municipal utility (Alameda Municipal Power) went 100% carbon-free back in 2020, sourcing entirely from hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, and biomass. We also drive an EV, so charging at home means our daily driving is fully zero-emission. And my 4 year old son will start school next year; we have K-12 public schools all within walking distance.

We aren't pretending we're at absolute net-zero. Our groceries are still trucked in, packages are delivered via standard freight... But for our home power and personal miles, we’ve effectively eliminated carbon.

Next up on the roadmap for next year: exploring rooftop solar and batteries so we can be nearly 100% energy independent. Alameda has roughly 260 sunny days per year, so it seems realistic that we could get to near total independence with a good battery setup.

House viewed from the street

New heat pump and heat pump water heater

Heat pump air exchanger unit

Heat pump water heater

Sucking out the old insulation

Bags of old insulation in the front yard