In our last blog post, we explored how many solar panels you need<\/a> for an average home. This week we are going to look at how different large loads in your home can affect your annual usage and how to plan for them.<\/p>\n A load refers to the part of an electrical circuit that consumes energy. Every day examples include lights, heating systems, air conditioners, and other appliances.<\/p>\n The concept of \u201celectrifying your life\u201d involves replacing energy sources for loads that are typically handled by gasoline, natural gas, or oil, which have a tremendous impact on our environment and your wallet. Making this change can also save you a lot of money, especially when that electricity is powered by the sun!<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to factor in energy needs when making these kinds of upgrades. For example, how much more electricity will you need to produce if you want to replace your gas guzzler SUV with an electric vehicle? If you swap out your old, rusty oil burner for an efficient geothermal heat pump system, how many more kWh will your home use?<\/p>\n The average home on Long Island and in NYC uses around 12,000 kWh per year. If you know what your historic energy patterns are but are planning to add one of the loads below to your home in the next year or two, we recommend sizing up your system. That is, instead of offsetting 100% of your electric bill, we can aim to offset 110% of your bill to accommodate for your future electric plans.<\/p>\n Anything beyond 110% will require what is called a \u201cload letter\u201d to explain to the utility company why you are seeking to oversize your system by a significant amount. This requirement also protects you from being oversold on a system larger than needed. Since net metering<\/a> is offered in our region, our goal is to offset your energy by exactly what you need, perhaps allowing for a little more if you have future plans for growth.<\/p>\nElectrify Your Life\u2122<\/h2>\n
How can I determine my energy needs?<\/h2>\n
Large Loads<\/h2>\n
Electric Load<\/strong><\/td>\n| Estimated Annual kWh draw<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Air Conditioning System (cooling only)<\/td>\n | 5000 \u2013 6500 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Air Sourced Heat Pump System (heating + cooling)<\/td>\n | 9,350 \u2013 18,500 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Ground Sourced Heat Pump System (heating + cooling)<\/td>\n | 6,500 \u2013 8,500 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Electric Heat Pump Hot Water System<\/td>\n | 2,500 \u2013 4,000 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Hybrid Electric Vehicle<\/td>\n | 750 \u2013 1250 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | All Electric Vehicle 12,000 miles per year<\/td>\n | 4,000 \u2013 5,000 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Hot tub \u2013 used frequently<\/td>\n | 2,000 \u2013 3,500 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Hot tub \u2013 used moderately<\/td>\n | 1,500\u2013 2,000 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Pool with filter running responsibly (8 hrs \/ day) June – August<\/td>\n | 800 \u2013 1,000 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Electric pool heater running responsibly June – August<\/td>\n | 1,200 \u2013 1,600 kWh \/ year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | *Estimates based on 4-person household. Actual energy usage will depend on consumer choices and energy habits.<\/p>\n Smaller Appliances and Devices<\/h2>\n
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