CityofSantaBarbaraSource: City of Santa Barbara
The City is in the process of developing new code language that would require most newly constructed buildings to be all-electric and avoid adding new natural gas infrastructure. The proposed ordinance would only apply to new buildings. Existing buildings, including additions, remodels, alterations, and attached accessory dwelling units would not be affected by the new rules.
The City has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2035, requiring a multi-pronged approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Almost 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in Santa Barbara come from energy use in buildings. Of that amount, 20% comes from electricity and 19% comes from natural gas. Local electricity supply will soon be carbon free once Santa Barbara Clean Energy launches locally, starting in October of 2021. This shift to renewable, carbon-free electricity opens up a pathway to completely decarbonize the building sector.
The City is hosting two virtual workshops to provide background and context to the proposed code change and to answer questions you may have. These sessions will be held Friday, February 12th from 12pm – 1pm and Wednesday, February 17th from 5:30pm-6:30pm. These sessions will also be recorded and available for viewing if you cannot attend the events.
To register for one of the Reach Code Workshops please visit: https://sustainability.santabarbaraca.gov/. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
I wonder about the net efficiency of this plan from an energy standpoint. Burning the fuel at a distance from the place that needs heating seems inefficient. There are many resistance losses in an electrical grid. The current natural gas system heats homes locally avoiding this sort of loss. Do any qualified engineers out there have a quantitative explanation of this comparison?