Modern heat pumps are truly a marvel, especially when you get one designed for heating and not just an AC-unit running in reverse. They're very common in Sweden and can easily warm an entire house even at -20 C.
Whenever this topic appears on HN I want to get on my soapbox and yell "INSULATION PEOPLE, INSULATION!". Most houses I've seen outside of the Nordics have shit-all insulation and that's depsite it working both ways - house stays cooler in the summer. It's such a small cost to add during construction and it pays off in a year or two, tops.
Modern, newly built houses in Sweden, way above the arctic circle, require less than 5000 kWh per year to heat and generate hotwater.
Whenever this topic appears on HN I want to get on my soapbox and yell "INSULATION PEOPLE, INSULATION!". Most houses I've seen outside of the Nordics have shit-all insulation and that's depsite it working both ways - house stays cooler in the summer. It's such a small cost to add during construction and it pays off in a year or two, tops.
Modern, newly built houses in Sweden, way above the arctic circle, require less than 5000 kWh per year to heat and generate hotwater.