When Jess Curtes and her husband, Jeff, bought their house in Golden Valley in 2018, almost all the appliances used natural gas. Jess shares her family’s experience electrifying their largest gas appliances to create a hybrid electric home. 

Home Details

  • Built: 1959
  • Size: 3,500 square feet
  • Location: Golden Valley, Minnesota
  • Utility:
    • Electric: Xcel Energy 

Jess’s Story in Her Own Words 

To Jess, choosing to electrify meant doing her part for the environment and saving money, making it a win-win decision. Hear from Jess about why she and her husband electrified: 

“Making the shift to electrification is really important. Our main driver was doing our part for the environment and the climate crisis. Cost savings and not being reliant on fluctuating gas prices were another reason why we got an EV and a heat pump. 

We started making the shift to electric by installing a [ducted] heat pump with a gas furnace as the backup. It’s really comfortable, and we’ve been impressed with how effective it is in this climate. A year or so later, we installed a mini-split heat pump in the garage, which has been really nice. We originally got that to melt snow off the cars, but then we found that it was also effective in the summer for cooling. We were able to spend time in there during the pandemic when everyone was home. 

We also were interested in a heat pump water heater as an electrification measure, but one of the concerns we had was, ‘is it going to be hot enough, and is it going to run long enough?’ On the one hand, there is the conversation about how we shouldn’t be taking long, hot showers, but on the other hand it’s nice to know that you can. Once we established that a heat pump water heater could supply enough hot water to not run out, we were really excited by that. We installed it and have never run out of hot water. It’s quiet and it’s comfortable. It’s something you don’t notice, which makes it fantastic. 

We were interested in getting rooftop solar panels, but we have big oak trees in the back, so our roof wasn’t ideal. Our neighbors told us about their community solar garden subscription, and we realized it made more sense for us to do that. We subscribed and now we source all our electricity from solar. We save money on our bill, help encourage more solar gardens to be built, and feel good knowing we are part of the solar movement. 

Thinking about our next project, we would really like to have an induction stove. We’ve looked into it. We have a gas stove, and we are hearing more and more that gas stoves leak pollutants into the house, even when they are turned off. Avoiding breathing methane in our home is a big reason we want an induction stove.” 

Equipment Details 

  • Air Source Heat Pump (House)
    • Type: Ducted
    • Sizes: 3 tons
    • Brand: Bryant
    • Model: Evolution Extreme 28OA
    • Switchover Temperature: 20°–28°F
  • Air Source Heat Pump (Garage)
    • Type: 1 mini-split head
    • Size: 1.5 ton
    • Brand: Mitsubishi
    • Model: M-Series Hyper Heat
  • Furnace and Air Handler
    • Type: Variable speed handler
    • Size: 80,000 BTU/hour
    • Brand: Bryant
    • Model: Evolution 987M
  • Heat Pump Water Heater
    • Size: 80 gallons
    • Brand: AO Smith 

A Hybrid Approach to Electrification to Meet Your Needs 

Jess and Jeff electrified some of their natural gas appliances, they created a hybrid home that worked for them. By installing an air source heat pump and heat pump water heater, they electrified some of their larger gas appliances. As they plan ahead, an induction stove is next on their list to ensure their home is healthy and safe. Whether you’re interested in electrifying one piece of equipment in your home or all of them, Electrify Everything Minnesota is here to be a resource. Check out our electrification guide to understand some of the most impactful ways to electrify. 

 

Download PDF