Whole-Home Electrification Project

Palo Alto, CA

DC Jackson

About Me

• Silicon Valley systems/software/hardware developer, semi-retired
• Highly technical and hands-on, still writing code
• Home automation enthusiast
• Technology policy interests: energy, electrification, grid modernization

Motivations

• Always wanted rooftop solar — grid-tied seemed incomplete, BESSes and EVs started getting good
• Gen-Z daughter very concerned about sustainability — urged us to "do better"
• Appointed to Utilities Advisory Commission, learned that natural gas is bad
• As a strong advocate for electrification, I believe in practicing what I encourage others to do

Starting Condition

• Purchased in 2015
• Needed a new roof
• Aging HVAC and water heater
• Kitchen appliances: functional but dated
• Electric service: 200A, main and sub panels
• Second floor uncomfortably hot in summer, A/C ineffective
• Three ICE vehicles

Goals

• Replace all gas appliances with electric, disconnect from gas utility
• Support EV charging (potentially 2 EVs)
• Resilience during grid outages: rooftop solar (NOT grid-tied) + battery backup
• We plan to live here "forever" — quality of life and future-proofing outweighed budget concerns
• Demonstrate how a fully electrified home can actively participate in a dynamic, flexible grid
• Create a real-world example of smart load management, storage, and automation
• Become a working laboratory for energy and power management based on dynamic price, grid conditions, and household needs

Design Process

• Installed networked multi-circuit electric meter to measure existing use
• NEC load calculations are insanely conservative — a major obstacle to electrification
• Concluded whole-home backup better/more future-proof than partial-home
• Configurable & automated load-shedding during outages highly desirable
• Roughly 2+ years of research and planning

Pre-Electrification Baseline (2020)

Utility data + networked sub-metering established our real baseline — not NEC worst-case.

Design Decisions

Before & After: Service Entrance

SPAN Smart Electric Panels

Before & After: HVAC and Water Heater

New Roof and PV Panels

EV Charging (EVSE)

Induction Cooktop

• 50A induction cooktop in same location as gas
• Moderate kitchen remodel: new countertop, backsplash, new appliances, kept cabinets
• Moved ventilation hood into ceiling — no gas fumes to exhaust!

Disconnecting from Gas

Data: Monthly Grid Consumption

Pre-electrification: ~2000 kWh/month

Post-electrification: ~2500 kWh/month

But grid consumption actually decreased — from ~2500 to ~2000 kWh from grid.

The difference: ~750 kWh/month of PV generation

Data: Monthly Total Consumption (Grid + PV)

Total consumption: ~2750 kWh/month

• Using ~250 kWh more electricity than pre-electrification
• But ~500 kWh less from the grid
• PV generation makes up the difference: ~750 kWh

Data: Instantaneous Grid Consumption

• Large baseline load of ~3 kW with occasional large spikes/peaks
• (Mini "data center" in the basement!)
• Peaks of 15-20 kW for a few hours — EV charging + cooking or dryer

Data: Peak Usage Event (Zoom)

A typical peak: EV charging overlapped with cooking and dryer.

Data: PV Generation 2024 — Monthly

• 8.1 MWh total for 2024 (8.4 MWh in 2023)
• Monthly range: ~0.25 MWh (winter) to ~1.2 MWh (summer)

Data: PV Generation — Best Day (June 13, 2024)

• 41.7 kWh generated on June 13, 2024
• Peak output around solar noon

Conclusions from the Data

• On average, using 250 kWh more electricity per month than pre-electrification
• But using 500 kWh less from the grid
• PV generation makes up the difference: 750 kWh
• 200A service is more than sufficient — even without active load management
• Additional electricity cost without PV is immaterial
• With PV: completely electrified and lowered the electricity bill
• Gained resilience to grid outages

Life After Electrification

No compromises, sacrifices, or negative lifestyle impacts. Electrified life outperforms in every way — plus it's cleaner, safer, and guilt-free.

Service Feed Size

• Based on experience and data, 200A is more than enough for nearly all homes
• 400A service seems unnecessary — NEC load calcs are insanely conservative
• What about homes with 100A service?
  • EMS/PCS technology (UL 916 smart panels) can intelligently manage total load
  • Most 100A homes can electrify without a costly service upgrade
  • Smart panel investment pays for itself through avoided upgrade costs

Existing service feed size is NOT an obstacle to electrifying most homes.

Grid Impacts of Electrification

• Data suggests grid impact projections may be more conservative than necessary
• Current adoption rates for HP-WH and HP-HVAC have modest grid impact
• No need to hold back motivated customers while waiting for grid upgrades

The opportunity:

• Support customer adoption while upgrading the grid in parallel
• Crawl, walk, run — start now and scale gradually
• Rethink grid management: balance responsible management with ongoing electrification

Smarter Grid Management with Smart Controls

Historically, grids were designed to handle worst-case peak load with no active demand management.

Today: EMS/PCS technology in smart panels offers real-time, per-customer load management.

Key question:

How does the cost of installing EMS/PCS panels at every home compare to grid modernization?

Example: 15K homes x $1K = $15 million

With granular control, the distribution network no longer needs to be oversized for unconstrained demand. Demand can be optimized in real time — deferring or avoiding costly infrastructure upgrades.

Where the Puck Is Going

• Hourly dynamic pricing via open protocols like OpenADR 3.1
• Bi-directional pricing — addressing NEM concerns, incentivizing storage
• V2X-enabled EVs — household backup power and flexible grid resource
• Fixed connection charges based on service feed size: $(100A) < $(200A) << $(400A)
• All high-load appliances will be network-connected and demand-flexible (CEC FDAS)
• Home automation going mainstream via Matter — active energy optimization

"Nobody Else Can Afford This!"

I respectfully disagree. Many people can do most of this, over time, with planning:

Electrification is a journey, not a single project.

Surviving a Grid Outage (Electrified)

Keep your EV charged. Most gas appliances need electricity too. Battery backup covers essentials.

Final Thoughts

• Practicing what we preach: fully electrified, lower bills, better comfort, grid resilient
• 200A service is sufficient — smart panels make even 100A work
• Grid impacts are manageable — start electrifying now, upgrade grid in parallel
• Dynamic pricing + smart controls = the future of grid management
• No compromises. Electrified life is simply better.