4 ms·

> Regarding heat pumps phasing out gas heat, in NY it isn’t feasible. It gets too cold. Not true, heat pumps are widely used as primary heat sources in environ

> Regarding heat pumps phasing out gas heat, in NY it isn’t feasible. It gets too cold. Not true, heat pumps are widely used as primary heat sources in environments as cold or colder than NY, like in Montreal and other parts of Canada. The take that heat pump tech only works in very moderate temperatures is stale at this point.

bradlys 3y ago
[flagged]
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
amalcon 3y ago
Usually that works one of two ways: 1. Ground source heat pump -- which can work pretty much anywhere people live, but costs a lot more and people don't necessarily know about them. 2. Failover to resistive heating when it gets too cold outside. It's fine to do this in Montreal, because electricity is relatively inexpensive there. It's fine to do this in New York City, or even somewhere a little cooler like Boston, because you're doing it for max like 2 days a year even in an outlier year. Not sure if it's fine to do this in Buffalo.
- PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
  3. an actual modern air-source heat pump, that still has a COP of close to 2.0 at 5F (as listed here: https://ashp.neep.org/#!/ https://ashp.neep.org/#!/
indymike 3y ago
> Not true, heat pumps are widely used as primary heat sources in environments as cold or colder than NY, like in Montreal and other parts of Canada. As the owner of a 5 year old heat pump in a milder climate in Indiana, I can tell you this: * When it is under 10°F, my heat pump switches to emergency heat... forced air electric and is very expensive to run. * Often the temperature swings are pretty wild... 40-50 degrees and that also can force emergency heat. Oh, and since the electric company is usually using gas to generate the electricity, isn't the environmental impact somewhat of a wash?
- SoftTalker 3y ago
  Yep if you live in Indiana your electricity comes from gas or coal, there's a tiny bit of generation from a wind farm in the northwest corner of the state and some scattered token solar farms.
- justeleblanc 3y ago
  You bought a shitty heat pump and decided you were okay with living in a state that produces electricity using fossil fuels. What's your point again?
  - nullc 3y ago
    What state doesn't produce electricity using fossil fuels? At midnight last night, which wasn't atypical, California was 50% natural gas and the total CO2 emitting is even greater due to imports and CO2 emitting renewables.
    - jablongo 3y ago
      Vermont is mostly green via hydroelectric and wind
      - brahbrah 3y ago
        Vermont also consumes ~3x more energy (all energy, not just electricity) than it produces and has the lowest energy consumption of any state. https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VT https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VT
  - switch007 3y ago
    I've noticed often the response to criticism is "you should have spent $10k more". And the people who spent the extra who enquire about excessive costs then get met with "why did you over-spec your system?" lol
  - indymike 3y ago
    I bought the best product available at the time. Since Iceland is the only nation on earth that has successfully kicked the fossil fuel habit (11% of energy is produced by burning fossil fuels), I suppose you are suggesting I move there to blunt my aching conscience. I'm sure Iceland is nice, but I think I'd squander any environmental benefit flying to see my friends, relatives and immediate family. Interesting reading: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-least-dependent-on-fossil-fuel-sources-for-energy-needs.html https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-least-dependen...

bradlys 3y ago

[flagged]

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

amalcon 3y ago

Usually that works one of two ways: 1. Ground source heat pump -- which can work pretty much anywhere people live, but costs a lot more and people don't necessarily know about them. 2. Failover to resistive heating when it gets too cold outside. It's fine to do this in Montreal, because electricity is relatively inexpensive there. It's fine to do this in New York City, or even somewhere a little cooler like Boston, because you're doing it for max like 2 days a year even in an outlier year. Not sure if it's fine to do this in Buffalo.

PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
3. an actual modern air-source heat pump, that still has a COP of close to 2.0 at 5F (as listed here: https://ashp.neep.org/#!/ https://ashp.neep.org/#!/

indymike 3y ago

> Not true, heat pumps are widely used as primary heat sources in environments as cold or colder than NY, like in Montreal and other parts of Canada. As the owner of a 5 year old heat pump in a milder climate in Indiana, I can tell you this: * When it is under 10°F, my heat pump switches to emergency heat... forced air electric and is very expensive to run. * Often the temperature swings are pretty wild... 40-50 degrees and that also can force emergency heat. Oh, and since the electric company is usually using gas to generate the electricity, isn't the environmental impact somewhat of a wash?

SoftTalker 3y ago
Yep if you live in Indiana your electricity comes from gas or coal, there's a tiny bit of generation from a wind farm in the northwest corner of the state and some scattered token solar farms.
justeleblanc 3y ago
You bought a shitty heat pump and decided you were okay with living in a state that produces electricity using fossil fuels. What's your point again?
- nullc 3y ago
  What state doesn't produce electricity using fossil fuels? At midnight last night, which wasn't atypical, California was 50% natural gas and the total CO2 emitting is even greater due to imports and CO2 emitting renewables.
  - jablongo 3y ago
    Vermont is mostly green via hydroelectric and wind
    - brahbrah 3y ago
      Vermont also consumes ~3x more energy (all energy, not just electricity) than it produces and has the lowest energy consumption of any state. https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VT https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VT
- switch007 3y ago
  I've noticed often the response to criticism is "you should have spent $10k more". And the people who spent the extra who enquire about excessive costs then get met with "why did you over-spec your system?" lol
- indymike 3y ago
  I bought the best product available at the time. Since Iceland is the only nation on earth that has successfully kicked the fossil fuel habit (11% of energy is produced by burning fossil fuels), I suppose you are suggesting I move there to blunt my aching conscience. I'm sure Iceland is nice, but I think I'd squander any environmental benefit flying to see my friends, relatives and immediate family. Interesting reading: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-least-dependent-on-fossil-fuel-sources-for-energy-needs.html https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-least-dependen...