this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2024
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The memes of the climate
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Heat pumps really shouldn't be on this list. They're no magic bullet for heating. They require electricity to run. As it gets colder outside the heat pump loses efficiency until you're somewhere in the teens and you'd just be better off using straight electric heat strips in your air handler. Most electricity generation still creates carbon emissions. High efficiency gas furnaces create very low carbon emissions. I have an open-air natural gas fireplace insert that can run unvented (probably shouldn't, but it can) do to how well it combusts it's fuel leaving virtually no CO.
We seem to be having a lot of success with heat pumps here in Canada.
Yeah it's not going to work on the coldest of days. Yes you need to have a secondary source of heat for those days. Yes it uses electricity.
But there many days that you need heating which aren't the coldest of days. And a heat pump will save you lots of money on your heating bill. Electricity can be generated without fossil fuels. The percentage of electricity generated by fossil fuels is dropping.
Also geothermal heat pumps are a thing. They're way more efficient than air source heat pumps on the most extreme days.