A significant energy truth not well understood is that the shift from fossil fuels to renewable electricity will decrease total energy need. Electricity is a capable workhorse. Appliances and tools run on electricity, and lighting as well. Comparatively, fossil fuels are heat creators.1 Gas tools are leaf blowers—noisy, inefficient, polluting. Much of fossil fuel use […]
100% Solar-Powered All-Electric Home
Our Kirkland, WA home is 100% electric since April, 2025, after we replaced our gas furnace and gas water heater with heat pumps. Gas line capped; gas service cancelled. On our roof, south-facing solar panels have average 9,300 kWh/yr of clean energy since 2020. We expect our PSE bill to be only the connection fee, […]
Western Washington Rooftop Solar
The cost of solar energy, now the cheapest electricity in much of the world, has dropped 76% since 2009. In the United States residential panel installed cost dropped from $8.50/watt to as low as $2.01/watt before incentives. In October, 2020, we paid $1.46/watt, after taking advantage of the 26% federal tax credit. That puts […]