A common criticism of heat pumps is that they do not work in cold weather.
However, the Nordic region – particularly Sweden, Finland and Norway – offers a rebuttal to this assessment, as our research at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) shows.
These three European countries have the highest heat pump sales per 1,000 households in the continent.
Sweden, Norway and Finland also have the coldest climates in Europe. In all three countries, there are now more than 40 heat pumps per 100 households, more than in any other country in the world.
At RAP, we have analysed the driving factors that led to this Nordic success story, as part of the development of our heat pump policy toolkit, which we launched at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh last year.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 1 day ago
It’s kind of funny IMO, in the old days, the most efficient heat source heat source would be burning something directly in your home, where typically 80% of the heat is utilized, and one of the most CO2 friendly heat sources is firewood or pellets because it’s renewable energy.
But with the heat pump that typically has a 4:1 yield in heat, meaning that 1kWh of power yields 4 kWh of heat.
A power-plant running on pellets, will transform 45% of the heat to electricity.
But using a heat pump, even 45% electricity with a 4x yield for making heat is 180% utilization!!
So 180% against traditionally about 80% from firing the pellets directly at home, means that the heat-pump is twice as environmentally friendly as one of the most efficient ways to heat houses used to be, even when accounting for a 10% loss of electricity in transportation from plant to household.
The funny part being, that burning and making electricity from the heat far away, then transport the electricity to the homes, and transform the electricity to heat again, is more efficient than burning stuff directly in the home!
FireRetardant@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Its all because the heat pump moves heat instead of making it. It can be hard to grasp until you understand the refrigeration cycle. It almost feels like a cheat code.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 1 day ago
I found out that that’s why EVs are even more efficient with a full-on coal power plan than it is to drive around an ICE vehicle - and it kind of makes sense. With a power plant they’re going to monitor how much power is being used and try to generate the correct amount with as little waste as possible, which then of course is the electricity that goes directly to you. ICE vehicles though you’re literally hauling around a generator with your car at all times, constantly wasting energy that could be used elsewhere, never getting any true efficiency. When you start thinking that way it makes a lot of sense
Buffalox@lemmy.world 1 day ago
This is exactly right, man the amount of downvotes I received a few years back for claiming that, despite I showed the calculations that proved it.