Snohomish PUD is working hard to power your ‘Home of the Future’
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 8, 2023
By Snohomish County PUD
It’s not quite the house in the clouds that was promised in “The Jetsons,” but the PUD is working hard to ensure that your Home of the Future will make life easier, more comfortable and help conserve energy along the way.
Over the next two decades, the PUD plans to usher in an array of new technologies to help increase reliability, while also helping customers save money. Here are just a few things the PUD is studying as we prepare to meet the demands of the Home of the Future:
Advanced meters: It’s a lot easier to conserve electricity – and save money – if you can track your energy usage. Advanced meters communicate data in near real-time, relay outage information and record usage in 15-minute increments to help you monitor your energy consumption. They also allow for customers to take advantage of time-of-use rate structures to save money. (Learn more about advanced meters at snopud.com/connectup.)
Battery storage: Home battery storage systems allow customers to store power to use during outages or at times when rates are more expensive. Add solar to it and store your excess power to use when the sun goes down!
Solar: Speaking of solar, that’s another exciting new energy source. Even in the (often cloudy) Pacific Northwest, an optimally installed system in Snohomish County will generate approximately 1,100 kilowatt-hours per year. (Learn more about rooftop solar at snopud.com.)
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) chargers: Like home battery storage but on wheels. V2G charging systems can turn your electric vehicle into a rolling battery system to help out during an outage. For example, the Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck contains technology that can, according to Ford’s website, power a home for up to three days during an outage.
Induction stoves: Induction cooking is new and cool, but it will likely become mainstream over the next decade. Induction cooking is more efficient and causes no indoor air pollution. Best of all: It’s cool to the touch, so no more burns.
Smart electrical panel: The brains behind your new smart home will allow you to monitor and control electricity demands at the circuit level via a smartphone app.
Ductless heat pumps: Because they mostly transfer heat rather than generate it, heat pumps are more efficient than boilers, electric heaters or gas furnaces. Added bonus: Ductless heat pumps can also be placed in a variety of places around a home and can double as air conditioners on hot summer days. (For rebates on heat pumps, visit snopud.com/heating.)
Learn more
Learn how the PUD is powering the future at our March Power Talks presentation, a free virtual conversation at noon on March 9. To register, visit snopud.com/powertalks.
