Report: Electrifying heating in existing commercial buildings could cut their emissions 44%

(ACEEE blog, 30 Oct 2020) Washington, DC—Replacing gas-burning heating systems in commercial buildings with efficient electrified heat-pumps could reduce these buildings’ total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 44%, according to a new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

The conversions would help enable the buildings to ultimately become “zero carbon” as the electric grid moves toward renewable energy sources. But policymakers will need to act to spur a widespread shift to heat pumps.

Buildings are responsible for nearly one-third of GHG emissions in the United States, both from fuel burning on site and the emissions from power plants serving the buildings. The new report models the impacts of replacing several types of gas-based heating systems in existing commercial buildings with various electric heat pump systems.

In some cases, electrifying heating already pays back for building owners. ACEEE found that about 27% of commercial floor space heated with fossil fuel systems can be electrified today with a simple payback of less than 10 years. If policymakers enacted a package of public investments, incentives, and carbon pricing policies, the proportion of commercial building space that can be electrified with this payback would increase to 60%. But electrification of remaining buildings would likely require more-aggressive policies or government investments.

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ACEEE blog, 30 Oct 2020: Report: Electrifying heating in existing commercial buildings could cut their emissions 44%