LEAP and C3 electrification report shows energy cost savings, sustainability in households

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Community Climate Collaborative (C3) and Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) took on a big project to switch several Charlottesville and Albemarle County households from fossil fuels to electric energy.

Throughout this project, LEAP and C3 worked with eight homes in the city and county to make an eco-friendly switch to all electric energy.

“The climate benefits of the project were overwhelmingly positive,” C3 Executive Director Susan Kruse said. “That is something that is really clear to all of us in the project.”

After analyzing the homes, carbon emissions reductions were overwhelmingly achieved to the tune of two million pounds of CO2 over the next 20 years. Overall, the performance of the eight homes between Q1 2020 with fossil fuels and Q1 2021 with electric led to a -56.0% decrease in energy consumption.

Kruse says not only is this great for sustainability and the environment, but it will reduce those energy bills for these families.

“Homes with fuel oil has switched to electric saw significant improvements in energy costs, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” Kruse said.

C3 will stay in touch with these families to ensure the cost savings results from the project are exceeded, met, or mitigated.

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