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Vermont, and perhaps Maine as well, have initiatives to transition housing to high-efficiency heat pumps that are still efficient enough to be better than just

Vermont, and perhaps Maine as well, have initiatives to transition housing to high-efficiency heat pumps that are still efficient enough to be better than just resistive heating even in negative F temperatures. Obviously they will not be efficient in something like -40F, but I believe nowadays they break even in -20F, but don't quote me on that exact temperature. And even accepting that you'll get <-20F a few days a year, it is likely still a net-energy win, and I would suspect, suitable for use even without a fixed backup system. I'd imagine if it's good enough for Vermont, it would be good enough for Wisconsin. The state has websites listing suitable models that might be a good starting point for you.

nightski 4y ago
Hmm we just got a new furnace and none of the installers offered high efficiency heat pumps. The ones available started to become inefficient at 20F above 0. It really wouldn’t of been practical to get this. Maybe some day. Unfortunately too even with the spike in prices gas is still significantly cheaper than electricity even with the efficiency. But I was thinking about solar down the road which is the only reason I considered it.
- dicriseg 4y ago
  Sure but most of Maine doesn’t have natural gas service. Outside of Portland, you generally may have some gas service along Rt 1. Otherwise, at best you can get bottled propane, but you have to consume a good amount to get decent pricing. It’s usually tiered. This calculators been around for a long time and gave us a pretty reasonable estimate when we did our system. It’s also not an either/or thing. My house (southern Maine) has oil forced hot water heat, with an older 84% efficient boiler, and a mini split. We have no natural gas service, and propane isn’t cost effective. We run the split through both shoulder seasons, and we turn the split system off when it’s consistently below freezing or oil drops below $2.00/gal (our breakeven point). The heating bill is surprisingly reasonable given the climate. As a bonus we have great AC from the split, and I don’t care what anyone says, it’s needed these days! Are you in Maine or somewhere else?
  - zdragnar 4y ago
    Similar story to the other two in this thread- air exchange heat pumps are available that are rated to work below 20* F. In the end, I switched to wood (natural gas isn't available where I am, and propane is expensive). Currently using a high efficiency stove and a gassification mass heater. Our central heating barely turns on in winter at this point, and the thermal efficiency of both systems isn't too far from the propane furnace either. (The mass heater is stupidly efficient, the wood stove only in the 85% range I think).
  - Scoundreller 4y ago
    Your way is the best way. Even if you did have natural, since you’d now not be using it 9ish months of the year instead of 6, the standby/connection charges make it increasingly uneconomical. I know a fellow who was on oil heat and the nat gas grid was going to extend to them, but they’re going to install mini splits and keep oil as their deep freeze protection.

nightski 4y ago

Hmm we just got a new furnace and none of the installers offered high efficiency heat pumps. The ones available started to become inefficient at 20F above 0. It really wouldn’t of been practical to get this. Maybe some day. Unfortunately too even with the spike in prices gas is still significantly cheaper than electricity even with the efficiency. But I was thinking about solar down the road which is the only reason I considered it.

dicriseg 4y ago
Sure but most of Maine doesn’t have natural gas service. Outside of Portland, you generally may have some gas service along Rt 1. Otherwise, at best you can get bottled propane, but you have to consume a good amount to get decent pricing. It’s usually tiered. This calculators been around for a long time and gave us a pretty reasonable estimate when we did our system. It’s also not an either/or thing. My house (southern Maine) has oil forced hot water heat, with an older 84% efficient boiler, and a mini split. We have no natural gas service, and propane isn’t cost effective. We run the split through both shoulder seasons, and we turn the split system off when it’s consistently below freezing or oil drops below $2.00/gal (our breakeven point). The heating bill is surprisingly reasonable given the climate. As a bonus we have great AC from the split, and I don’t care what anyone says, it’s needed these days! Are you in Maine or somewhere else?
- zdragnar 4y ago
  Similar story to the other two in this thread- air exchange heat pumps are available that are rated to work below 20* F. In the end, I switched to wood (natural gas isn't available where I am, and propane is expensive). Currently using a high efficiency stove and a gassification mass heater. Our central heating barely turns on in winter at this point, and the thermal efficiency of both systems isn't too far from the propane furnace either. (The mass heater is stupidly efficient, the wood stove only in the 85% range I think).
- Scoundreller 4y ago
  Your way is the best way. Even if you did have natural, since you’d now not be using it 9ish months of the year instead of 6, the standby/connection charges make it increasingly uneconomical. I know a fellow who was on oil heat and the nat gas grid was going to extend to them, but they’re going to install mini splits and keep oil as their deep freeze protection.