4 ms·
> Due to transmission losses, it is cheaper, efficient, and greener to combust natural gas for warmth directly than to burn it at a power plant, feed the power
by cjrp 4y ago
> Due to transmission losses, it is cheaper, efficient, and greener to combust natural gas for warmth directly than to burn it at a power plant, feed the power into the grid, and use grid power to run a heat pump.
That would certainly be true for a classic electric (element) heater, but I thought the point of heat pumps was that they’re not generating heat just… pumping it.
- benj111 4y agoI'm not convinced either a heat pump has a cop of ~4. A thermal power plant is ~50% efficient and transmission isn't losing 50% of the energy. This also ignores any greening of the grid, present and future. And the fact that a furnace/boiler isn't 100% efficient.
- groestl 4y ago> A thermal power plant is ~50% efficient For electricity alone, I'd want to add. With heat coupling and district heating, thermal power plants can reach ~90% efficiency.