There is a pressing need to decarbonize our energy sector to limit the effects of climate change. Electrification in the buildings and transportation sectors is being proposed as a critical solution. This paper discusses the impact of rapid electrification by comparing the predicted future electricity demand with different scenarios for electricity generation. The effects on primary energy consumption and CO₂ emissions are highlighted. Our analysis shows that the composition of the electricity grid plays a key role in determining a better trajectory toward decarbonization. Another key challenge facing the building energy sector is the eventual phasing out of synthetic refrigerants currently used in vapor-compression heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. This article discusses potential solutions for the building energy sector to address these issues and provides engineering solutions that can guide the safe transition to a decarbonized economy without catastrophic shortages of supply or exacerbation of CO₂ emissions. Overall, the paper determines that an ∼5.0 quad reduction in building energy usage can be achieved by switching to carbon-free thermal energy where possible and implementing technologies such as desiccant-coated heat exchangers to judiciously manage dehumidification loads. The entirety of the energy saving methods recommended in this article allows for a reduction in predicted carbon emissions by up to 67%, which, combined with carbon capture and other energy saving techniques, could approach a goal of carbon neutral by 2050.

迫切需要使我们的能源部门脱碳以限制气候变化的影响。建筑和交通部门的电气化被提议作为一个关键的解决方案。本文通过将预测的未来电力需求与不同的发电情景进行比较，讨论了快速电气化的影响。对一次能源消耗和CO _2的影响排放被突出显示。我们的分析表明，电网的组成在确定更好的脱碳轨迹方面发挥着关键作用。建筑能源行业面临的另一个关键挑战是最终淘汰目前用于蒸汽压缩加热、通风和空调 (HVAC) 系统的合成制冷剂。本文讨论了建筑能源部门解决这些问题的潜在解决方案，并提供了可以指导安全过渡到脱碳经济而不会出现灾难性供应短缺或 CO _{2加剧的工程解决方案}排放。总体而言，该论文确定，通过在可能的情况下改用无碳热能并实施干燥剂涂层热交换器等技术来明智地管理除湿负荷，可以将建筑能源使用量减少约 5.0 倍。本文推荐的全部节能方法可将预计的碳排放量减少高达 67%，再加上碳捕获和其他节能技术，到 2050 年可接近实现碳中和的目标。