The best new tech to make your home more efficient—and slash your energy bills
A handful of purchasing decisions in your own life can make an outsized difference for the climate, from choosing an electric car (or replacing your car with an electric bike) to adding solar on your roof. The options keep improving: New products look better, work better, and are getting more affordable. This may also be the best time to buy them, since the incoming Trump administration wants to kill incentives like tax credits and rebates. Here are a few of the best new products. These induction stoves can outperform gas Gas stoves have gained notoriety for ruining the air quality in your kitchen, and they also leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas. (The supply chain that brings gas to your kitchen is an even bigger polluter, from leaks in gas wells to pipelines.) Traditional electric stoves have often been seen as a less-desirable alternative. But the newest induction stoves outperform gas. Both Copper and Impulse Labs make induction stoves that come with batteries. That makes the stoves more powerful. It also means that installation is simpler, because older houses won’t need rewiring to handle the equipment. Using batteries also keeps the stoves running during power outages—and even makes it possible for the appliances to help store renewable energy for the grid. An ex-Googler designed a heat pump you’ll actually want in your home Heat pumps now outsell gas furnaces, and have a certain rabid fan base. But typical “mini-split” heat pumps, which efficiently heat and cool your home, can look clunky. The installation process can also be a pain—especially as growing demand for electricians makes it harder to find someone to do the work. Quilt’s heat pump technology is designed to look better both inside and outside a house. The company also works directly with contractors, so customers don’t have the same challenges with installation. It’s rolling out first in the Bay Area, though other startups are trying to make installation smoother for heat pumps in other regions). Home batteries are getting better As climate change fuels extreme weather, it’s more likely that the electric grid will lose power from a hurricane or wildfire—and a growing number of people are choosing to install home batteries so they can keep the lights on in an emergency. One new option from Biolite is affordable and slim enough to fit behind a refrigerator. Lunar Energy, a startup launched by a former Tesla executive, makes a larger-capacity home battery system designed to be installed along with solar panels on the roof. It’s similarly sleek and fast to install, in a modular design that can be scaled up or down depending on the home’s energy needs. There are more options for EVs than ever before There are now more than 40 different models of battery-electric vehicles on the market in the U.S. That’s small compared to China, where there are more than 100 new options. But it still means that no matter what you’re looking for in a vehicle, you can probably find a viable electric version. City-dwellers who don’t drive long distances might choose the Mini SE, which starts at around $30,000 (used models can be half that price). If you want an SUV or a truck, there are options from Rivian’s smartly-designed vehicles to the hulking Ford 150 Lightning to the tiny new Telo MT1, which has a small footprint but can haul as much as a larger truck. As bidirectional charging becomes more common, EVs can also help cut your energy costs by charging and providing backup power for the grid at key times, along with powering your own home in emergencies. A long list of incentives can help cut costs Right now, it’s possible to get federal tax credits on a long list of technology, from new and used EVs to home batteries, geothermal heating, heat pumps, EV chargers, rooftop solar, weatherization, and new electric panels. Low and middle-income households can also use rebates for some products that have rolled out in a handful of states. Some states and utilities have additional incentives. But Trump wants to get rid of the federal perks—so this may be the best time to upgrade.
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A handful of purchasing decisions in your own life can make an outsized difference for the climate, from choosing an electric car (or replacing your car with an electric bike) to adding solar on your roof. The options keep improving: New products look better, work better, and are getting more affordable. This may also be the best time to buy them, since the incoming Trump administration wants to kill incentives like tax credits and rebates. Here are a few of the best new products.
These induction stoves can outperform gas
Gas stoves have gained notoriety for ruining the air quality in your kitchen, and they also leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas. (The supply chain that brings gas to your kitchen is an even bigger polluter, from leaks in gas wells to pipelines.) Traditional electric stoves have often been seen as a less-desirable alternative.
But the newest induction stoves outperform gas. Both Copper and Impulse Labs make induction stoves that come with batteries. That makes the stoves more powerful. It also means that installation is simpler, because older houses won’t need rewiring to handle the equipment. Using batteries also keeps the stoves running during power outages—and even makes it possible for the appliances to help store renewable energy for the grid.
An ex-Googler designed a heat pump you’ll actually want in your home
Heat pumps now outsell gas furnaces, and have a certain rabid fan base. But typical “mini-split” heat pumps, which efficiently heat and cool your home, can look clunky. The installation process can also be a pain—especially as growing demand for electricians makes it harder to find someone to do the work.
Quilt’s heat pump technology is designed to look better both inside and outside a house. The company also works directly with contractors, so customers don’t have the same challenges with installation. It’s rolling out first in the Bay Area, though other startups are trying to make installation smoother for heat pumps in other regions).
Home batteries are getting better
As climate change fuels extreme weather, it’s more likely that the electric grid will lose power from a hurricane or wildfire—and a growing number of people are choosing to install home batteries so they can keep the lights on in an emergency.
One new option from Biolite is affordable and slim enough to fit behind a refrigerator. Lunar Energy, a startup launched by a former Tesla executive, makes a larger-capacity home battery system designed to be installed along with solar panels on the roof. It’s similarly sleek and fast to install, in a modular design that can be scaled up or down depending on the home’s energy needs.
There are more options for EVs than ever before
There are now more than 40 different models of battery-electric vehicles on the market in the U.S. That’s small compared to China, where there are more than 100 new options. But it still means that no matter what you’re looking for in a vehicle, you can probably find a viable electric version.
City-dwellers who don’t drive long distances might choose the Mini SE, which starts at around $30,000 (used models can be half that price). If you want an SUV or a truck, there are options from Rivian’s smartly-designed vehicles to the hulking Ford 150 Lightning to the tiny new Telo MT1, which has a small footprint but can haul as much as a larger truck.
As bidirectional charging becomes more common, EVs can also help cut your energy costs by charging and providing backup power for the grid at key times, along with powering your own home in emergencies.
A long list of incentives can help cut costs
Right now, it’s possible to get federal tax credits on a long list of technology, from new and used EVs to home batteries, geothermal heating, heat pumps, EV chargers, rooftop solar, weatherization, and new electric panels. Low and middle-income households can also use rebates for some products that have rolled out in a handful of states. Some states and utilities have additional incentives. But Trump wants to get rid of the federal perks—so this may be the best time to upgrade.
