Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Raghavan, Shuba V.
• Wei, Max
• Kammen, Daniel M.

Titel

Scenarios to decarbonize residential water heating in California

Ist Teil von

• Energy policy, 2017-10, Vol.109, p.441-451

Ort / Verlag

Kidlington: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2017

Quelle

PAIS Index

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• This paper presents the first detailed long-term stock turnover model to investigate scenarios to decarbonize the residential water heating sector in California, which is currently dominated by natural gas. We model a mix of water heating (WH) technologies including conventional and on-demand (tank-less) natural gas heating, electric resistance, existing electric heat pumps, advanced heat pumps with low global warming refrigerants and solar thermal water heaters. Technically feasible policy scenarios are developed by considering combinations of WH technologies with efficiency gains within each technology, lowering global warming potential of refrigerants and decreasing grid carbon intensity. We then evaluate energy demand, emissions and equipment replacement costs of the pathways. We develop multiple scenarios by which the annual greenhouse gas emissions from residential water heaters in California can be reduced by over 80% from 1990 levels resulting in an annual savings of over 10 Million Metric Tons by 2050. The overall cost of transition will depend on future cost reductions in heat pump and solar thermal water heating equipment, energy costs, and hot water consumption. •Paper presents scenarios for deep emissions reduction in residential water heating.•Carbon intensity of electric grid has to continue to decline from current levels.•Fuel substitution to electricity will have to gradually phase in no later than 2020.•Electrification has to accompany wide-spread adoption of electric heat pumps.•Decrease in GWP of heat pump refrigerants will further help emissions reduction.