By installing a heat pump in his house in the hills of Oslo, Oyvind Solstad killed three birds with one stone, improving his comfort, finances and climate footprint.

Heat pumps can’t take the cold? Nordics debunk the myth::By installing a heat pump in his house in the hills of Oslo, Oyvind Solstad killed three birds with one stone, improving his comfort, finances and climate footprint.

  • MaxHardwood@lemmy.caEnglish
    61·
    11 months ago

    It really depends on the type of heat pump. Air-sourced heat pumps generally don’t produce heat below -30C and below -10C they generally lose enough efficiency that you’re better off using electric baseboard heating.

    • Thorny_Insight@lemm.eeEnglish
      71·
      11 months ago

      My air sourced heat pump keeps my house warm just fine in the Finnish winter where temperatures of -30C aren’t unheard of. I’m not exactly sure how it works, but I assume there’s coils that’ll produce the heat by electricity if nececcary, making it at worst as efficient as direct electric heating, which is what I’d use otherwise. Here like every other house has a heatpump like that and I don’t remember hearing anyone ever complaining that they’re not working.

      • Drewlb@lemmy.worldEnglish
        61·
        11 months ago

        The argument is bullshit in totality. But… When the supplemental electric heating coils come on, it is less efficient ON THAT DAY, than the alternative electric options. But, like I said, in totality, it’s more effective over a month, and certainly better over the course of a year. It’s a matter of people with an agenda cherry picking the 9 days a year in which it is less efficient and pretending that the other 354 days don’t count.

        • Kelsenellenelvial@lemmy.caEnglish
          3·
          11 months ago

          I suppose if electric heat is the primary option then sure. Around here though natural gas is pretty much ubiquitous and the cost per joule is a heck of a lot lower than electricity. About $6/GJ for natural gas, compared to about $42/GJ for electricity. Would need a pretty efficient heat pump to see the cost savings in my area.

        • xthexder@l.sw0.comEnglish
          11·
          11 months ago

          Except that electric heating is always 100% efficient, and that’s what a heat pump falls back to. If anything it will still be more efficient than baseboard heating simply due to it having a fan to better distribute the heat (equivalent to an electric furnace with ducting). The only argument that makes sense is when comparing costs with other heat sources like natural gas, which is a whole other topic.

      • MaxHardwood@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        11 months ago

        I think mine is undersized and close to 20 years old now. Reading your response is yet another reason I have to go through with upgrading everything.