Comment on Oxford study proves heat pumps triumph over fossil fuels in the cold
TooManyGames@sopuli.xyz 9 months agoMy air heat pump has been ticking away happy for 15 years with no issues. It’s worked fine warming up the house when it’s -20°C in the winter and cooled nicely in the up to +30°C in the summer.
I do supplement it using electric heating and a fireplace though.
DarthBueller@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Thank you for responding and sharing your counter-experience. Greatly appreciated. What keeps your unit from icing over? Are they designed differently in northern climates?
bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 months ago
Here’s a good video showing how the heat pump will reverse and basically dethaw the coils when it freezes over: youtu.be/7J52mDjZzto?t=1317
Mr_Blott@feddit.uk 9 months ago
They’re spreading all over the Alps too. Easily a 50° temperature difference between summer and winter, and they tick over nicely for years with no problems
I think in Europe it’s a fairly common method now so reliability has been sorted out.
Generally the US is a decade or so behind everyone else though so it might take a while
MigratingApe@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
The COP coefficient falls down drastically to 1 as soon as temperature drops below -5C and they basically start working as an electric heater. It wouldn’t be a problem if I wasn’t living in a country with the most expensive electricity in Europe which is produced mainly from coal…
alvvayson@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Then you’re looking at the wrong models.
The Mitsubishi H2i has a COP of 2.88 at -15 C (5 F).
There are also models with COP above 2 at -30 C.
Yes, a typical A/C isn’t designed for subzero temperatures. But you gotta get the right heat pump for the right climate.
For cold climates, it does get more expensive and less efficient and at some point it will always be cheaper to just burn wood or fossil fuels. But with the right heat pump, even very cold climates can get most or all of their heating cheaply with a heat pump.
Mr_Blott@feddit.uk 9 months ago
Yeah that’s just incorrect. People wouldn’t use them then. All new build chalets have them