Reducing emissions from buildings has attracted increased attention in the effort to stop climate change. Finding the best strategy remains a challenge.

A new study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) concludes that electrification may be the most cost-effective approach. “The Potential for Alternative Fuels in Building Decarbonization” was published on April 30.

ACEEE conducted a comparative analysis of the costs and emissions for decarbonizing buildings through electrification and the use of alternative fuels for combustion, such as biomethane from landfills or livestock manure or synthetic gases made from hydrogen and other chemical compounds. In making the comparison, the study examined “hard-to-decarbonize” building energy uses. This includes backup home heating in cold climates, central water heating in large multifamily buildings and heating commercial buildings in cold climates, which make up about 8% of current building energy use.

The study found that if building owners want to decarbonize this type of energy use, they can most cost-effectively do that with efficient electric heating.

The study noted that the remaining 92% of building energy use can be most cost-effectively decarbonized by using electric heat pumps, as demonstrated by previous ACEEE research.

In comparing the effectiveness of electrification with alternative fuels, the study found that alternative fuels such as biomethane are a much more expensive and less plentiful resource. Specifically, electrification could be six times more cost-effective.

Based on their superior cost-effectiveness, the study concludes that “end use electrification and low-carbon electricity will likely remain the cornerstones of economy-wide energy decarbonization.”