All Electric Home - Save Money By Building Your ADU With No Gas Line

[@InspiredADUs]

I can't tell you how many times I have asked the knowledgeable Rolf Bell to explain this to our clients! Thanks How To ADU for getting this great information online!

[@alanhall6909]

I designed my ADU with most of the roof slope facing South to maximize solar panels. All electric, heat pump, induction stove. Pays for itself in 10 years. After that, all my electricity is free. I find that I'm more comfortable with a heat pump heater instead of a gas, forced air central furnace, which dries out the air too much. Bottom line is that with free electricity, you will want to have an all electric home. Also, you MUST set up your panel to accept solar (Solar Ready) and an electric car charger.

[@frodo603]

I haven't found any references in to US for phase change material (PCM) heat battery hot water heaters. They are much smaller than heat pump units but can be set to store at a lower demand (2800 watts) when the sun is out or when electrical rates are lower. They behave like on demand heaters without the instant energy demand. The supplier I have researched is Sunamp from the UK. They are in the process of setting up an office on the East coast.

[@yasminmata1313]

I just recently started looking for information for ADUs because I am building a basement ADU in Los Angeles. I love this episode and I brought this topic up with my architect. Thanks for all the great information.

[@HowToADU]

Glad it helped! Hope your basement conversion goes perfectly :)

[@troysgt]

Seems to me, the best way to save money with regards to utilities, is to design and build a high efficiency home with the ability to take advantage of whichever utility is most cost effective at any time. So, running gas and electric capability for your range, furnace, water heater. That way you can run your equipment on whatever is most beneficial, and useful, and switch if you need to.

[@asmith8092]

Thanks much!!! I am looking to begin the process of adding a ADU and I am about to tour a completed adu this weekend and speak with company reps about beginning the process. So great information!!! Keep these vids coming!!

[@HowToADU]

That's cool! Thanks for watching.

[@jumpstartadu3333]

Excellent content and very topical. Well done. Wish more ADU pros did this type of genuine work. We subscribed and so should anyone looking into an ADU.

[@minnick99]

Great video, Ryan and Rolf! The timing for this video couldn't be more perfect as we are in the process of planning a conversion of an 800sf shop into an ADU for my mother to reside in. There is no gas currently plumbed to the shop and the main is on the opposite side of the property, so going all-electric will greatly simplify the project. Luckily, we already have a 43 panel solar system that was sized for future needs such as this ADU.

[@HowToADU]

Sounds like a great plan! Thanks for watching and building!

[@MrWaterbugdesign]

I do like all electric. I put a simple electric switch on my hot water heater to easily switch off when not used, in summer (here in Phoenix it's plenty hot). Easier than flipping the breaker and much easier than turning off gas.

[@Rmorine]

Eliminating the need for a gas line makes a lot of sense budget wise. Next I’d like to hear about bring power to the sub panel. Underground or overhead. Are overhead lines from the main house to the ADU even allowed?

[@InspiredADUs]

Russel the lines need to be underground and will involve some trenching.

[@XioArleen]

So if going all electric with electric stove, water heater, and washer and dryer on a 360 sq feet ADU how large should panel be? Is it 200 amps in the main house or 200 amps in the ADU?

[@suiteadditions]

Great interview Ryan. Looking forward to installing 200amps in our ADUs!

[@HowToADU]

Thanks so much. I am very pleased to think we can contribute when you guys are so ahead of the curve!

[@suiteadditions]

Not at all. We've only started allowing detached ADUs here recently, so I'm learning a lot from your Channel. Hope your channel keeps growing! Happy to provide insights anytime for basement ADUs as we've done a ton of those.

[@prophetseven728]

Electric does not beat gas on speed. You try to cook something. Then need to cook something on a lower temp. You have to wait on electric to cool down. Not a gas stove. You just turn it down and instantly it not as hot. Which is a big deal when making meals. Electric also doe not give you an equal burn accross your pans. So you have to plan ahead with that. When cooking.

[@geekarobertson]

Can it be done with solar

[@WillJohnsonSD_Inspector]

CA Energy Code 2022 - Has an all-electric prescriptive design. This is driven by reducing GHG emissions. In short, it will be a penalty cost-wise to install any gas service. The stove, heating, and water heater will have a mandatory 240v connection. Battery backup connections will also be required. Recommends 225 amp capacity panel. And then there are your EV hookups.

[@HowToADU]

Interesting. They’re eliminating the requirement for ADUs to have solar panels under a certain size, but at the same time it makes soooo much sense to install them and go all electric!

[@aomardidi]

Thanks for the great info.

[@albundy3929]

wow, great info. opened my eyes

[@HowToADU]

Rolf is so knowledgeable - we can all learn from him! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@susandudley171]

I am located in CA hot valley not cool bay area. All electric still a good idea?

[@HowToADU]

That's a good question. You also want to consider if it's a really energy efficient house. I think the way it works is that if your electrical bill and gas bill combined would be paid back by the installation of solar panels (over the lifetime of the panels) then it's a good idea. But you might want to talk to a Title 24 engineer about the pros and cons for your specific situation!

[@susandudley171]

@@HowToADU Thank you Ryan. I am so grateful for all your info. You are a wealth of easy to understand info.

[@TeslaIncome]

Great video! I will def go all-electric now. So interesting about upgrading to a 200 Amp panel. I have an existing garage in Flagstaff AZ with a Tesla Charger and PowerWall built inside the garage. Thinking I'd have to move the charger outside to still have it functional but leave the PowerWall inside. Is that legal, or does it need to be outside if it's now a living space? It's signed by Elon, Franz & JB so I'd rather it inside if possible :) I'd love to do solar as well, but too many trees!

[@HowToADU]

I’m not sure about that. I imagine there is a way to have the charger protected though - maybe a little shed/laundry room structure? Speak to your planning department about your options.

[@jaisontaylor5452]

Hi Ryan. I am planning to build a shop house ADU. in Riverside. let’s document it from start to Finnish. I think it would be great content for your channel.

[@HowToADU]

Love that idea. I'm located in Napa so we could chat about it if you can do the filming and send me the video. Email me at [e-mail] to work out the details if you're interested.

[@nathanielcarreon5634]

Natural gas is generally cheaper than using electricity.

[@HowToADU]

The word generally here does a lot of work! Most new detached ADU construction in California is going to require solar panels so it's hard to imagine that gas would be cheaper in most of those ADUs. But if you aren't adding solar, and you just look at the short term gas bill vs electrical bill, yes gas is waaay cheaper.

[@prophetseven728]

If we do away with Natural Gas. That going to drive prices up for Electric by a Lot! No competition = higher prices.

[@Sammy-hi4jy]

Go to 4:54 to start get info…

[@Socalarborist]

Heat pump?? Every homeowner that has had a heat pump has said the only thing they do is make their electric meter spin continuously. Have they gotten better ??

[@HowToADU]

I’ve met homeowners who were happy with the ones that were installed in the past couple years. But I’ve also met some who installed very active and noisy pumps! I don’t know enough of the detail to do a video. But it would be fun to do a comparison between a couple bills and maybe a sound test.

[@Socalarborist]

@@HowToADU I’m sure the technology has gotten better the last few years. A deep dive into what is more efficient would be great!

[@Socalarborist]

@@HowToADU we currently live in an ADU that was built with the main house in 2006, so it’s more of a granny flat. It has central heat and air, and the hot water heater is in a closet that you can only access on the outside of unit.