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> By 2030, global warming alone could push Chicago to generate 12% more electricity per person each month of the summer. Chicago heats with gas, right? When th
by sampo 7y ago
> By 2030, global warming alone could push Chicago to generate 12% more electricity per person each month of the summer.
Chicago heats with gas, right? When the cold months become warmer, they will save so much gas that the net effect will be reduced energy use and reduced emissions.
- gameswithgo 7y agoCooling is innately less efficient, so the net effect is not necessarily going to be reduced energy use for Chicago.
- lopmotr 7y agoWhat do you mean by less efficient? If they're both done electrically, they're the same process, just moving heat in the opposite directions. If done with gas, you can't cool anyway. Cooling in Chicago is through a lower temperature difference than heating. So heating will use more power. That's because the average temperature is below human comfort level. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Chicago#Data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Chicago#Data
- slfnflctd 7y agoRunning the compressor in an air conditioner takes a whole lot more electricity than running a blower fan to move air across some gas heat. If you wanted to break the whole thing down into physics, I'm not sure exactly how it would go, but at least in terms of market prices I can assure you it is much cheaper to heat a home with gas from 40 degrees F to 70 than to cool one with A/C down to 70 from 100.
- s_gourichon 7y agoSome refrigerator designs work by burning gas. The core principle of a refrigerator is to use energy to move heat from one place to another. One classical source of energy in such thermodynamics context is to give oneself a hot spot and a cold spot. Heating gas can be used to make the hot spot. I remember using on vacations in the 80's a model that could work with 220V, 12V or gas. More on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator
- sampo 7y ago> Cooling is innately less efficient Cooling is more efficient for two reasons: Cooling is done with a heat pump, which typically has 300% to 500% energy efficiency, whereas gas heating has only 100% efficiency. And, in cooling situations, the temperature difference (indoors vs outdoors) is typically smaller than in heating situations.
- s_gourichon 7y agoHeat pumps (assuming the facilities are designed for this) can work both ways, can't they? The heat generated by the pump itself is always a gain when heating, always a loss when cooling. Can anyone confirm?
- sampo 7y ago> Heat pumps (assuming the facilities are designed for this) can work both ways, can't they? Yes. But electrical heating with heat pumps is currently not common in the US.