We found a strong seasonal fluctuation in total energy consumption in the U.S., largely driven by winter heating demand for buildings. This “falcon curve” is not represented in many of the existing decarbonization pathways1,2,5,6,7,8. Currently, this fluctuation is managed largely by the existing fleet of UGS and LNG facilities, and other storage capacity intrinsic to existing fossil fuel energy systems. The existing UGS and LNG facilities, along with in-home and midstream storage capacity for wood, propane, fuel oil, and other home heating fuels represents a massive and crucial long-term energy storage resource that is essential to the current management of seasonal fluctuations in building energy demand in the U.S. Our results show that electrifying building heating will superimpose the seasonal demand fluctuation of the falcon curve onto the electrical grid. This will likely…
Inefficient Building Electrification Will Require Massive Buildout of Renewable Energy and Seasonal Energy Storage
