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3 points

Yeah maybe in a rural area that can make sense. It’s just that in an urban/suburban area a heat pump will easily get the equivalent of 300%+ efficiency (over 500% with well designed underground systems). Natural gas isn’t clean yes but at the equivalent of 300% efficiency, it’s probably better than wood, especially as the electrical grid is slowly shifted over to renewables in most places. Also should consider that while a heat pump is costly to install, they are usually warrantied for at least 10 years and probably last well beyond that with maintenance. It’s definitely expensive for now though. (swear I’m not a heat pump salesperson)

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1 point
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Oye we could go back and forth at this for awhile. 300% efficient at ideal temperatures, not low temperatures, and that efficiency is just at converting the electricity into heat. It doesn’t account for the energy it takes to get the fossil fuels out of the ground, processed and brought to a power plant. Or the conversion of the fuel into electricity then losses in the grid getting to your house. Then there is also the fact that fossil fuels are not renewable and the wood you burn can replenish itself and re-capture the carbon you expended making it essentially net zero if you sustainably forest and don’t use tons of power tools to harvest the wood. Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is its complicated but for a lot of folks I’m still convinced wood is better for most, for now. Soon as renewables take over I agree, heat pumps FTW but the USA is horrifically behind on renewables.

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0 points

Wait, how can something be greater than a 1:1 energy transfer?

Pretty sure electric translates to heat at a 100% efficiency rating, but that’s not considering the 30% or w/e origin of that energy. But I digress, how do you get over 100% returns on your energy?

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1 point

Well it’s because it’s not generating all that heat, it’s simply moving it from outside to the inside, while using up less energy than it moves. That’s why it’s not ‘efficiency’ technically (they call it the coefficient of performance), but it still effectively heats up your house or whatnot with more energy than it consumed in the process.

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1 point

Ah, that makes sense.

But that aside, 300% of what? 300% of electric without the heat pump? It’s also my understand that heat pumps aren’t that great for heating if they are basic above ground units. Have to be the extra expensive dug in ones.

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