Meet Shannon of Portland, Oregon. She started with upgrading her own home, and now works with Electrify PDX to help other Portland residents make the switch to reap the benefits of an electrified life. Here’s a glimpse into her journey.

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When my husband and I bought our 1953 home a few years ago, we knew we wanted to make it efficient and all-renewable. We got quotes and installed solar on our roof, replaced the furnace and AC with a heat pump, and replaced our gas stove with an electric model.

This was in 2021 when there were plenty of supply chain issues given the pandemic — getting an induction stove was trickier then, but worth it. We also conducted a full home energy audit as part of this process. We had air sealing done and leveled up the insulation in our crawlspace and attic. 

Our solar panels cover about 75% of our energy use, and we’re signed up for our utility’s green power program. We’ve also signed up for community solar, and will soon have the 25% of our remaining power offset by a solar farm that’s being built in our area.

It feels really great to have a home with great indoor air quality that’s comfortable year-round. And I’m proud to know we’ve taken the biggest climate action we can take — greatly reducing our household carbon emissions for the lifetime of the home by electrifying. — Shannon, Oregon

It feels really great to have a home with great indoor air quality that’s comfortable year-round. And I’m proud to know we’ve taken the biggest climate action we can take — greatly reducing our household carbon emissions for the lifetime of the home by electrifying.

I currently work for the nonprofit program ElectrifyPDX, which helps fellow Portlanders power their homes with clean energy. We hosted our first annual Electrify Portland home electrification fair in October of 2023; we brought together over 800 attendees interested in making their homes efficient, electric, and powered by clean energy. 

Carbon-free living is finally within reach, thanks to the cost-savings benefits as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Exciting times!