25 States Agree To Quadruple Number Of Heat Pumps In America::The US Climate Alliance met in New York City this week to explain the benefits of heat pumps, including better health for American families.

  • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    1 year ago

    Direct electric heat is very efficient. Practically 100%.

    My understanding is that you would only need the aux source during extreme cold. So very rarely.

    • Sol0WingPixy@ttrpg.network
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      1 year ago

      Right - in fact, from my knowledge, heat pumps only see use over direct electrical heating because they are effectively more than 100% efficient. They move more heat energy from outside to inside than they use in the transmission.

      The breakdown between gas and electric heating isn’t necessarily a matter of how efficiently the energy is used once it gets to the home, it’s how expensive it is to get it there in the first place. In a lot, if not a majority, of places, it’s much cheaper to get gas piped in than it would be to pay for the same amount of heating via direct electric resistance. Heat pumps change the equation because they can make electric heating in places that don’t get outrageously cold economically competitive with gas.

      • mesamune@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yep PGE makes it so that gas is tremendously less expensive than electrical in California. So a lot of people who would normally be upgrading right now will not be doing so.

    • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      My heat pump is around 300% efficient. It adds 3X the energy into the house than it spends by stealing that energy from outside.

      • Toine@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Except when it’s very cold outside, which is what was discussed here. Heat pumps are great (have one in my home), but it might not be ideal in very cold areas, especially if electricity prices are high compared to other energy sources.

        • cley_faye@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          You need to be in a very, VERY cold area for that to matter. While these places exists, I’m sure it’s not the case for a lot of the states I’ve seen marked in that article. Heat pump can heat the inside of your house even when it’s freezing outside.

    • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Icing conditions can also be a factor; freezing rain in the high 20’s F (~-4C for those who can’t F) will build up a layer of ice on the outside unit especially since it’s already the coldest thing around. That ice prevents air from circulating through, so it loses effectiveness. Running the strips for about a half hour or so, then running the air conditioner for about a half hour will defrost it quite effectively and restore it to efficient operation. It is my understanding some systems even do this automatically.