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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Using existing technology, it is possible to maintain comfort, reduce total energy use, reduce emissions dramatically and save money, even in cold climates like NE Ohio. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

If we plot the cumulative savings for switching to renewables and from gas to heat pumps, we can see that the savings are considerable. Over the past 23 months we've saved over $1,000. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Switching to green technologies saves you money and reduces emissions.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

We can also look at the monthly monetary savings that we made by switching to renewables or from switching to heat pumps. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Switching to renewables and Heat pumps lets us save money on most monthly bills.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Here's the difference in emissions from standard grid mix electricity vs. 100% renewables based on our past usage. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Switching to 100% renewables lets us cut our emissions dramatically.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Let's see how much we saved by switching our generation provider. We purchase 100% renewable electricity on fixed contracts with no additional fees. That lets us save money and reduces emissions. A win-win! In almost all months our generation contract is less than the price to compare. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Using the Ohio PUCO Energy Choice program lets us reduce our electricity generation rate, which is about 40-60% of our monthly bill.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

If we explore the rates we are paying for gas & electric, our electricity rate continues to be constant at 15cents/kWh because we switched to a fixed rate contract for the generation portion of our bill. In contrast, even w/ fixed rate gas, the rate varies due to variable distribution fees 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

The seasonally variable distribution fees high distribution fees as a faction of total cost and variable usage leads to large swings in the cost of gas relative to electricity when we compare then an an equal energy basis.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Our cumulative savings on operating costs from switching to HPs is ~$105. That will be balanced over the winter by increased heating costs when we switch back to backup gas in the coldest part of the year. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

From an economic standpoint, both our electric and gas utility costs dropped this month relative to historic use. The savings on gas are due to turning off the gas and paying no connection fee. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

We saved ~$33 dollars off our monthly electric bill and ~$55 off our gas bill by switching to heat pumps and turning off our gas for warm months.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Switching from gas to induction for cooking, a 3-season HVAC HP for most of our heating and a HP for all domestic water heating has cut our emissions dramatically, particularly for temps >55°F. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Heat pumps provide a means of reducing emissions from your home.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Our total energy use for the home has dropped by 80% relative to mixed gas and electric before the new HPs and by 25% after adding the HPWH. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

We dropped our total energy use by 80% because heat pumps are much more efficient that either electric heating or gas heating.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

We have now had 5 months with 100% direct emissions reduction and one month at 97% emissions reductions. These will however go back up once we turn the gas back on. But they will be lower than last year as we replaced the gas water heater. It's just back gas HVAC now. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Replacing our gas water heater which had 64% efficiency with a HPWH that has 344% efficiency has let us drop scope 1 emissions to 0 for T>55°F.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Because our gas usage was once again zero for the month, our direct emissions have plummeted to 0 pounds CO2e/day. One of the surprises for me was seeing how much we were able to drop our emissions for T>55°F by replacing our AC w/ a 3-season HVAC HP & our water heater with a HPWH. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Switching to a Heat Pump water heater allowed us to drop our warm temperature direct emissions to zero.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 1d

Sept '25 Electrification Update: It's 23 month since we started to electrify our home and ~5.5 mo. since we turned off the gas seasonally. Our electricity usage in Sept was just 808 kWh, down from last year due to more mild conditions that required less heating or cooling. My monthly 🧵 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Seasonal comparison of energy usage by gas and electric documents that we are using less energy to heat and cool our home and water with heat pumps that gas backup.

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Reposted by Joseph D. Ortiz

Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 3d

Despite the noise, renewables keep rising now generating more electricity than coal.

@iea.org halved its US outlook, but raised India’s by 10%, putting it on track as the No. 2 growth market after China. MENA up 23%, driven by Saudi wind and solar.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 2d

EMBER-ENERGY's "Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025" report shows that in the H1 2025 renewables (wind and solar) have outpaced global demand, leading to a reduction in fossil fuel emissions. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 Source: ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

Global Wind and Solar power generation exceeded global demand for electricity in H1 2025, leading to a reduction in fossil fuel generation and thus emissions.

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Reposted by Joseph D. Ortiz

EV Curve Futurist @evcurvefuturist.com · 6d

👑 Long live the king. The king is dead. From 2013–2024, Tesla reigned supreme in global BEV sales figures—undisputed and unstoppable. But after Q3 2025, BYD now leads by ~400K pure EVs, and the gap keeps widening. The electric throne has shifted east. ⚡🇨🇳 #EV #BYD #Tesla #Disruption #Geely #Xpeng

BYD surpasses Tesla in global pure-electric vehicle sales with already nearly 400,000 unit lead in 2025

The old king is dead, long live the new king: Chinese EV giant BYD establishes 388,000 vehicle lead in 2025.

carnewschina.com

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 6d

Ever wonder what it's like to be stuck in Arctic multiyear ice on an icebreaker? Tune in to the latest #AmericaView #SpatialSignals podcast for that and more! 🧪⛴️ 🛰️ 🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

A lone scientist, Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz, wearing a green parka, black snowpants, sunglasses and a wool tuque stands on the ice in front of a red and white research icebreaker, the USCG Healy.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 9d

Or thus source… www.epa.gov/greenvehicle...

Electric Vehicle Myths | US EPA

Facts and myths about electric vehicles.

www.epa.gov

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 9d

No. www.nrdc.org/bio/beth-ham...

The Truth About Electric Vehicles and the Grid: Strengthening—Not Straining—Our Energy Future

EVs enhance stability, flexibility, and long-term resilience of the power grid.

www.nrdc.org

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 9d

Thanks! It’s always good to document these things.

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 9d

Details?

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 9d

This article about the Beta IPO is not behind a paywall…. VTOL aurcrsft are coming. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧 www.reuters.com/business/aer...

Electric aircraft maker Beta Technologies files for US IPO

Electric aircraft maker Beta Technologies filed for an initial public offering in the United States on Monday, the latest company to join the rush to tap a record-breaking bull run in the equity market.

www.reuters.com

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Reposted by Joseph D. Ortiz

Dr. Prakash Kashwan @pkashwan.bsky.social · 9d

Electric-powered airplane Alia can take off on a conventional runway or lift off vertically like a helicopter. It can carry four passengers or about 200 cubic feet of cargo and has a maximum range of more than 300 miles. #FossilFree www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/29/b...

Vermont electric airplane maker files to go public - The Boston Globe

Beta Technologies is still seeking FAA certification for its first plane, called the Alia.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 9d

Bring it on! #TheFutureWillBeElextric 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

Zamafir @zamafir.bsky.social · 9d

This is what great leadership looks like. Ten year plan to build hundreds of thousands of EVs in the US resulting in immediate cost savings being passed right on.

Electrek @electrek.co · 9d

Hyundai slashes 2026 IONIQ 5 prices by nearly $10,000

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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 11d

Some folks are working to slow this, but they are swimming upstream against market forces. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋

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