Taking a look at the major concerns around replacing an 80% furnace with a high-efficiency one such as venting requirements, drilling extra holes, and financial costs.
The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently turned down the city of Berkeley’s request for another hearing in the case brought by the California Restaurant Association (CRA), which had challenged the ban.
The NPF Hydro-furnace, Navien Inc.'s first HVAC product, claims an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 97% and can be outfitted to burn either natural gas or liquid propane.
The decision is a win for the California Restaurant Association, which challenged the ban that took effect in 2020. The city has not decided whether to appeal.
California lawmakers have been banning just about anything that they believe could hamper the state’s ability to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
The ordinance includes all new construction, except for building additions and remodeling projects. Developers, builders, and owners of new structures must find alternatives to natural gas.
Across the country, state and local governments are mandating lower building emissions, pushing building owners to full electrification. Building codes and natural gas bans, however, only target new construction.
While proponents claim that electrification is necessary to reduce global warming, critics say that it limits choices for consumers and that some electric technologies may not be as efficient or reliable as their fossil fuel counterparts.
There is no question that the current environmental trend right now is electrification, which is part of an overall strategy to decarbonize our society. As with most everything in life, perhaps moderation would be a better way to approach electrification.