At point of use a modern condensing NG furnace loses about 10% of its energy up the flue.
Converting that NG to electricity loses about 65% up the stack of a CT, 15% up the stack and 50% out the cooling system of a steam turbine and that's before the transmission and distribution losses.
Heat pumps are thermodynamic losers compared to direct use.
Heat pumps are not "Deep Green" since they require government (taxpayer) money to make them economically feasible for the actual user. But they have to be less thermally efficient than gas (well, they almost have to be so on the face of it), and that explains why it costs so much more to heat with heat pumps than with gas, unless government interference is removed from the equation. The thermal efficiency of a steam plant (fossil or nuclear) may be as high as 30%, with additional energy losses from line losses, so individual high-energy furnaces deliver a higher percentage of energy expended to heat the house. But wait, it costs energy and therefore money to deliver the gas to the house--which is why you really need a market system to operate and allow people and utilities and bureaucratic governments to make informed decisions: What is the most cost-effective system overall? Does some other consideration (such as allergies, or environmental concerns, whether valid or not, or governmental coercion or graft) mitigate against making the best economic choice? Deep Green argues in favor of the most economically valid while still environmentally wise solution.
What? Why? Is it to get the copper out of the condenser coils? I haven't heard about this. I'd like to see more info on it... perhaps you could recommend a source.
Oh - somehow I didn't notice the link the first time - and I hadn't seen your earlier post - it's pretty amazing. I guess we can add this to stories in the US about copper theft of EV charging cables. Probably that's not covered by insurance either. I need to do an update.
At point of use a modern condensing NG furnace loses about 10% of its energy up the flue.
Converting that NG to electricity loses about 65% up the stack of a CT, 15% up the stack and 50% out the cooling system of a steam turbine and that's before the transmission and distribution losses.
Heat pumps are thermodynamic losers compared to direct use.
Thanks for the confirmation.
Heat pumps are not "Deep Green" since they require government (taxpayer) money to make them economically feasible for the actual user. But they have to be less thermally efficient than gas (well, they almost have to be so on the face of it), and that explains why it costs so much more to heat with heat pumps than with gas, unless government interference is removed from the equation. The thermal efficiency of a steam plant (fossil or nuclear) may be as high as 30%, with additional energy losses from line losses, so individual high-energy furnaces deliver a higher percentage of energy expended to heat the house. But wait, it costs energy and therefore money to deliver the gas to the house--which is why you really need a market system to operate and allow people and utilities and bureaucratic governments to make informed decisions: What is the most cost-effective system overall? Does some other consideration (such as allergies, or environmental concerns, whether valid or not, or governmental coercion or graft) mitigate against making the best economic choice? Deep Green argues in favor of the most economically valid while still environmentally wise solution.
Thanks for the feedback, David
They are stealing heat pumps from people's houses like crazy in Europe
https://tucoschild.substack.com/p/dieters-dilemma-heat-pump-thefts
What? Why? Is it to get the copper out of the condenser coils? I haven't heard about this. I'd like to see more info on it... perhaps you could recommend a source.
see links in the article
Oh - somehow I didn't notice the link the first time - and I hadn't seen your earlier post - it's pretty amazing. I guess we can add this to stories in the US about copper theft of EV charging cables. Probably that's not covered by insurance either. I need to do an update.