Beneficial Electrification

Beneficial electrification is the means of replacing the use of fossil fuels with efficient, electric alternatives. The benefits are twofold. From an environmental standpoint, electrification helps eliminate pollutants and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and making a positive impact on climate change. It also has economic benefits, offering long-term cost savings for both consumers and businesses.

Two recent developments have been key in expanding the potential for beneficial electrification programs: states setting aggressive electrification and decarbonization goals and improved technology for heat pumps, EVs, batteries, and other equipment.

Featured stories

An electrician working on a panel

A study outlining the role of 200-amp panel upgrades to electrify homes.

Rooftop HVAC units

Studying the effectiveness of Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) in cold climates.

January 4, 2024

Studying variable refrigerant flow systems in Minnesota

To prove the energy and comfort benefits in cold climates, Slipstream is conducting a field demonstration of VRF systems in Minnesota.
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September 26, 2023

The role of utility programs in market transformation

The market transformation of air-source heat pumps will take teamwork. We discuss what utilities can consider when designing programs to encourage market transformation.
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September 25, 2023

Panel upgrades are a key pathway to full electrification

Upgrading panel service to 200A is likely the most cost-effective and simplest way to enable residential electrification in cold climates at this time.
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July 31, 2023

Can Michigan lead the Midwest to a low-carbon future?

Slipstream's partners in Michigan are leading the way to carry out initiatives that meet the moment and suggest a path for other states in the Midwest to achieve their own energy goals.
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July 5, 2023

Transforming a Market: How Wisconsin was first to get high-efficiency furnaces in (almost) every home

The market transformation of air-source heat pumps will take teamwork. In the early '90s, stakeholders in Wisconsin helped successfully transform the market for high-efficiency furnaces.
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June 27, 2023

Advancing the electrification of RTUs in the Commercial and Industrial market

Packaged rooftop units, or RTUs, make up around 40% of the commercial and industrial market. What are the barriers keeping energy efficiency programs from tapping into this market?
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November 8, 2022

Do it right the first time: Electrify the residential new construction market

Demand for all-electric homes is at an all-time high, driven by rising fossil fuel costs and higher consumer awareness about the relationship between carbon emissions and climate change.
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November 4, 2022

The 5 biggest industry myths about air-source heat pumps

A manufacturer details the top heat pump myths among program implementers, evaluators, and contractors that get in the way of effective program design.
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October 28, 2022

Electrification and decarbonization—Why not me?

The Pembroke-Hopkins Energy Efficiency Project (PEEP) paves the way to understanding what it really takes to weatherize and support community members who live below the poverty line on the pathway to electrification.
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September 1, 2022

Community-driven weatherization and decarbonization

Through support of the Pembroke-Hopkins Energy Efficiency Project, we hope to understand what it really takes to support rural community members in the clean energy transformation.
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