Heat pump
An electric heat pump is one way to heat a building. It works a lot like air conditioning but in reverse: The hot air goes indoors; the cold air goes outdoors.
Energy usage
Moderate
Heat pumps are more energy-efficient than electric heaters.[QUANTIFICATION needed]
Research needed:
- How much more energy-efficient can a heat pump be?
- How does this depend on outdoor temperature?
- Life cycle analysis
- How much energy does it typically take to manufacture and install a heat pump?
- How often (if ever) is it viable/worthwhile to repurpose an air conditioner in the winter, to help with heating?
- Are there any "reversible" heat pumps that can work for both heating and cooling? (why)~ Manufacturing half as much stuff would certainly reduce life cycle emissions.
~ Use cases:
- - ~ New construction
- - ~ Any time someone has to replace their air conditioner anyway
- - ~ Any time someone has to replace their heating system anyway, and doesn't already have an air conditoner but could use one
- Are there any "reversible" heat pumps that can work for both heating and cooling? (why)~ Manufacturing half as much stuff would certainly reduce life cycle emissions.
Refrigerant chemicals
Long-term problem [RESEARCH needed]
Because of how heat pumps work, they must contain a substance known as a refrigerant. Most refrigerants in use today[ELABORATION needed] happen to be potent greenhouse gases. They aren't supposed to leak out into the atmosphere - but they sometimes do, if the heat pump gets old or is disposed of improperly.
This section is incomplete. It needs:
- Quantification
- How much of climate change is due to refrigerants?
- How much worse would it be if we all used heat pumps to heat our homes?
- How does this compare to the status quo of heating (often natural gas)?
- Solutions
- Are there any alternatives - refrigerants that aren't greenhouse gases? And are there tradeoffs? [new page needed]