I'm a air-to-air heat pump owner and I love it and think they will be a key part of climate mitigation.
However, from a climate change policy perspective, it is important to _emphasise_ that heat pumps are less efficient at lower temperatures (lower COP) and not try and pass this off as a myth. (I recognise this article is presenting the 'myth' as operating at a COP of < 1, but many people will misinterpret that)
To put this in perspective in the UK, in mild weather demand is something like:
- about 40GW total electricity demand
- about 100GW of gas
In mild weather, my heat pump gets a COP between about 3 and 4. Which means that, if we want to replace gas usage with heat pumps, we need a further 25-33GW of electricity to power the heat pumps.
This is eminently achievable. See here https://twitter.com/heatpolicyrich/status/161238524325157273... and the latest edition of the economist quotes there being 260GW of wind projects in the pipeline for the North Sea (amongst 9 countries): https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/01/05/why-the-gusty-n...
In extreme cold snaps, total gas demand doubles to about 200GW, and electricity goes up to maybe 60GW.
The problem is that now the heat pumps are getting a COP of maybe 2, if you're lucky.
So now in the UK we need 100GW of electricity to replace gas, which is a big ask even when the wind's blowing. At the moment, wind output peaks at about 21GW, though records are being broken all the time.
None of this is to say we shouldn't switch to heat pumps where possible. Mine was cheap to install (£1,895+vat) and has halved my gas usage. Must be one of the most cost effective way of mitigating the current gas crisis (after reducing usage!). I think it's just worth understanding some of the important numbers.
However, from a climate change policy perspective, it is important to _emphasise_ that heat pumps are less efficient at lower temperatures (lower COP) and not try and pass this off as a myth. (I recognise this article is presenting the 'myth' as operating at a COP of < 1, but many people will misinterpret that)
To put this in perspective in the UK, in mild weather demand is something like:
- about 40GW total electricity demand
- about 100GW of gas
In mild weather, my heat pump gets a COP between about 3 and 4. Which means that, if we want to replace gas usage with heat pumps, we need a further 25-33GW of electricity to power the heat pumps.
This is eminently achievable. See here https://twitter.com/heatpolicyrich/status/161238524325157273... and the latest edition of the economist quotes there being 260GW of wind projects in the pipeline for the North Sea (amongst 9 countries): https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/01/05/why-the-gusty-n...
In extreme cold snaps, total gas demand doubles to about 200GW, and electricity goes up to maybe 60GW.
The problem is that now the heat pumps are getting a COP of maybe 2, if you're lucky.
So now in the UK we need 100GW of electricity to replace gas, which is a big ask even when the wind's blowing. At the moment, wind output peaks at about 21GW, though records are being broken all the time.
None of this is to say we shouldn't switch to heat pumps where possible. Mine was cheap to install (£1,895+vat) and has halved my gas usage. Must be one of the most cost effective way of mitigating the current gas crisis (after reducing usage!). I think it's just worth understanding some of the important numbers.