1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:00,895 Hi. 2 00:00:00,895 --> 00:00:04,071 It’s no secret that I love heat pumps. 3 00:00:04,071 --> 00:00:07,875 Making a substance liquify in one place and vaporize in another 4 00:00:07,875 --> 00:00:12,745 on our command to move heat feels like a physics cheat code. 5 00:00:12,745 --> 00:00:16,769 We’ve been doing it for a very long time in refrigerators  and air conditioners, 6 00:00:16,769 --> 00:00:21,985 and we’re finally starting to collectively realize the benefits of doing it backwards. 7 00:00:21,985 --> 00:00:25,878 And, thanks to the very unfortunate global happenings, 8 00:00:25,878 --> 00:00:31,458 the need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels has found new and different urgency. 9 00:00:31,458 --> 00:00:37,159 The world seems increasingly  in agreement that it’s time for more pumping more now. 10 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,081 And the world is absolutely right about that! 11 00:00:40,081 --> 00:00:42,395 In this video, I’d like to explain why. 12 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,897 Real quick, you may have realized that I have  already made a video— 13 00:00:46,897 --> 00:00:48,671 as a matter of fact two 14 00:00:48,671 --> 00:00:50,963 —on the subject of heat pumps. 15 00:00:50,963 --> 00:00:53,478 So what’s this one for? 16 00:00:53,478 --> 00:00:58,330 Well, heat pumps are at the top of a lot of folks’ minds right now but also, you see, 17 00:00:58,330 --> 00:00:59,940 that second video? 18 00:00:59,940 --> 00:01:01,447 I’m not really happy with it. 19 00:01:01,447 --> 00:01:08,865 Largely because I ignored the developments that are happening and indeed have already happened in the air-source heat pump space, 20 00:01:08,865 --> 00:01:15,280 and I touted the much, MUCH harder  to build ground-source heat pump as “the future.” 21 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,254 Now, to be clear, if you are in a very cold  place 22 00:01:19,254 --> 00:01:23,147 and have the ability to invest in a geothermal heat pump system, 23 00:01:23,147 --> 00:01:25,110 I still think you should consider it. 24 00:01:25,110 --> 00:01:27,494 And by the way if you want to know what that is, 25 00:01:27,494 --> 00:01:29,006 well check out the link below. 26 00:01:29,006 --> 00:01:32,611 But even in pretty cold climates like mine, 27 00:01:32,611 --> 00:01:36,109 effective air-source heat pumps are available  today 28 00:01:36,109 --> 00:01:42,409 which will reduce the total amount of fuel required to heat your home over a year — even with today’s electric grid. 29 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,520 That’s good from an emissions standpoint, yes,   30 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:51,600 but it also means more simply that we need  less fuel for heating our living spaces.   31 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:57,472 And that means we don’t need to obtain as much  of it from places we may not want to. 32 00:01:57,472 --> 00:02:00,423 Simply put, in a world where heat pumps exist 33 00:02:00,423 --> 00:02:02,882 — which is this one right now! — 34 00:02:02,882 --> 00:02:09,022 it actually makes more sense to burn natural gas in a power plant to generate electricity 35 00:02:09,022 --> 00:02:15,046 than it does to pipe that gas into homes and businesses to be burned on-site for heat. 36 00:02:15,046 --> 00:02:17,061 I know, pretty wild, right? 37 00:02:17,061 --> 00:02:18,979 Let’s talk about why that is. 38 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,057 Since this more of a heat pump update, 39 00:02:22,057 --> 00:02:23,656 or heat pumpdate, 40 00:02:23,656 --> 00:02:26,743 I’m not going to go into how heat pumps actually work - 41 00:02:26,743 --> 00:02:29,964 check out the original video if you’d like to understand that. 42 00:02:29,964 --> 00:02:32,560 It is pretty cool, and pretty hot. 43 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,260 But I will go over the COP again  because it’s what really matters - 44 00:02:36,260 --> 00:02:38,568 and why they’re so important. 45 00:02:38,568 --> 00:02:44,896 The coefficient of performance is  a number that expresses how much heat energy a heating device produces 46 00:02:44,896 --> 00:02:48,969 compared to how much  electrical energy it consumes in the process. 47 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,110 Resistive electric heat — 48 00:02:51,110 --> 00:02:55,559 the ordinary kind you find in toasters, space heaters, hair dryers, and whatnot 49 00:02:55,559 --> 00:02:57,639 — has a COP of 1. 50 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:03,647 That means every 1 kilowatt of power consumed becomes 1 kilowatt of heat output. 51 00:03:03,647 --> 00:03:07,760 Turning electrical energy into heat is 100% efficient, 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:13,746 so every single watt of power that this heater  is consuming is ending up in the room as heat. 53 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:19,861 That’s not bad, but a wrinkle there is  that electricity *generation* is A) 54 00:03:19,861 --> 00:03:22,709 not 100% efficient and B) 55 00:03:22,709 --> 00:03:24,179 somewhat scarce. 56 00:03:24,179 --> 00:03:30,311 Let’s start with efficiency - a modern power plant that burns natural gas is, after transmission losses, 57 00:03:30,311 --> 00:03:32,338 about 40% efficient. 58 00:03:32,338 --> 00:03:38,822 Note that I’m deliberately talking only about natural gas plants - you’ll understand why as we go on. 59 00:03:38,822 --> 00:03:41,903 If you burn natural gas at a rate of 10 megawatts, 60 00:03:41,903 --> 00:03:45,794 a power plant will only produce  4 megawatts of electricity from it. 61 00:03:45,794 --> 00:03:50,872 While that would get turned into about 4 megawatts of heat if  it was run through a few thousand space heaters, 62 00:03:50,872 --> 00:03:56,946 we could turn that into more than 9 megawatts  of heat if we piped that gas into buildings 63 00:03:56,946 --> 00:04:00,179 and burned it locally in boilers or furnaces. 64 00:04:00,179 --> 00:04:02,659 As I explored in my video on furnaces, 65 00:04:02,659 --> 00:04:08,395 we know how to get nearly all of a fuel’s heat  energy out of it in a safe, effective fashion. 66 00:04:08,395 --> 00:04:12,287 So… in many parts of the world that’s exactly  what we do. 67 00:04:12,287 --> 00:04:15,488 Burning fuel on-site has been until pretty recently 68 00:04:15,488 --> 00:04:20,122 the most rational way to use that resource for the purpose of space heating. 69 00:04:20,621 --> 00:04:23,491 The other problem with electric heat a la toasters 70 00:04:23,491 --> 00:04:27,435 is that there is only so much grid capacity to go around. 71 00:04:27,435 --> 00:04:30,599 It takes a lot of energy to heat a building - 72 00:04:30,599 --> 00:04:34,593 heating buildings is among  the most energy-intensive things we do. 73 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:41,600 And in many areas the electric grid just isn’t big enough  to switch everyone over to simple electric heat.   74 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,727 And it’s not because we couldn’t build it to do so, to be clear. 75 00:04:45,727 --> 00:04:53,045 It’s just that, except in areas with access to abundant and stable renewable energy like hydroelectric power, 76 00:04:53,045 --> 00:04:58,148 it has traditionally been much more expensive and resource intensive to heat with electricity 77 00:04:58,148 --> 00:05:02,290 because of the efficiency challenges in fossil-fuel power plants. 78 00:05:02,290 --> 00:05:05,615 The electric infrastructure in areas like where I live 79 00:05:05,615 --> 00:05:12,186 just isn't expected to produce as much much energy in winter months because electricity demand has historically fallen 80 00:05:12,186 --> 00:05:15,793 when air conditioners stop running and furnaces fire up. 81 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:22,762 But, thanks to heat pumps, we can largely sidestep  both of those challenges altogether. 82 00:05:22,762 --> 00:05:25,541 When it comes to the need for electricity generation, 83 00:05:25,541 --> 00:05:29,412 since heat pumps aren’t converting electrical energy into heat 84 00:05:29,412 --> 00:05:35,386 but are instead using it to drive a  refrigeration circuit which moves heat indoors, 85 00:05:35,386 --> 00:05:39,036 they have coefficients of performance that are greater than 1. 86 00:05:39,036 --> 00:05:45,280 Simply put, they produce more useful heat with the same  electricity than a simple electric heater does. 87 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:49,467 Sometimes, more than 5 times as much. 88 00:05:49,467 --> 00:05:53,769 This means that although heat pumps will put more demand on the electric grid 89 00:05:53,769 --> 00:05:56,900 in places that currently use gas for heating, 90 00:05:56,900 --> 00:06:00,422 they require a fraction of the energy of resistive heat 91 00:06:00,422 --> 00:06:04,988 and so make electrification much more feasible in those parts of the world. 92 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,481 That’s definitely good, but here’s where  things get even better. 93 00:06:09,481 --> 00:06:12,040 Dare I say, mind-blowing. 94 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:16,209 Remember that we can pipe  natural gas into a building and burn it there, 95 00:06:16,209 --> 00:06:17,966 as we’ve been doing for decades, 96 00:06:17,966 --> 00:06:22,424 and we can capture perhaps 95% of its energy as heat. 97 00:06:22,424 --> 00:06:27,017 But if instead of doing that we burned  it in a power plant to make electricity, 98 00:06:27,017 --> 00:06:29,460 heat pumps will work their magic. 99 00:06:29,460 --> 00:06:33,651 We may only get 40% of the gas’s energy turned into electricity, 100 00:06:33,651 --> 00:06:38,300 but when you use it to run a heat pump operating  with a COP of 5, 101 00:06:38,300 --> 00:06:43,386 in the end you’re effectively operating at 200% efficiency. 102 00:06:43,386 --> 00:06:50,837 That’s a 100% bonus compared to burning the gas in a furnace or boiler with perfect efficiency. 103 00:06:50,837 --> 00:06:57,981 Literally more energy than the gas itself contains ends up getting put into buildings when you use it this way, 104 00:06:57,981 --> 00:06:59,845 and that’s nothing short of amazing! 105 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,320 Of course, as I’m sure certain curmudgeons  are shouting loudly at their screens,   106 00:07:05,079 --> 00:07:09,018 I need to tell you that heat pumps don’t always work that well. 107 00:07:09,018 --> 00:07:16,638 But, they only need to operate with a COP of 2.5 to break even with on-site fuel combustion. 108 00:07:16,638 --> 00:07:20,546 That turns the 40% captured in a natural gas power plant 109 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:25,680 right back into 100% - eking out even the most efficient furnaces.   110 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,908 And, here’s why this video’s happening, 111 00:07:28,908 --> 00:07:32,757 that is actually very, very attainable. 112 00:07:33,250 --> 00:07:34,009 Today. 113 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,853 With simple air source heat pumps. 114 00:07:36,853 --> 00:07:39,448 Even in cold climates. 115 00:07:39,448 --> 00:07:44,277 Various manufacturers are now producing ductless cold-climate mini-split heat pumps 116 00:07:44,277 --> 00:07:49,691 that manage that COP or better down to -15 degrees Celsius, 117 00:07:49,691 --> 00:07:51,820 or 5 Fahrenheit. 118 00:07:51,820 --> 00:07:55,926 They’re also able to maintain their full rated output at that temperature, 119 00:07:55,926 --> 00:07:58,800 though with reduced efficiency compared to milder weather. 120 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:04,720 For the purposes of this video I’m only  focusing on published data for certain models,   121 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:09,600 and I will freely admit that these models  are state-of-the-art and, for the moment, 122 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,673 exceptionally efficient. 123 00:08:11,673 --> 00:08:16,516 But it’s important to remember that these are machines for sale right now, 124 00:08:16,516 --> 00:08:19,125 not some theoretical future devices. 125 00:08:19,125 --> 00:08:23,151 And they are no more disruptive to install than an air conditioner. 126 00:08:23,151 --> 00:08:26,801 The technology is here. Now. We know how to build it, 127 00:08:26,801 --> 00:08:31,064 and if we had any sense we’d start doing that as fast as we can. 128 00:08:31,628 --> 00:08:33,040 But I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself. 129 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:39,840 I live in the Chicago area, and we love to tell  you just how brutally cold our winters can get.   130 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,774 And yes, I know there are places that get colder than here. 131 00:08:43,774 --> 00:08:45,371 Much colder. 132 00:08:45,371 --> 00:08:51,629 But we are definitely one of those places where the conventional wisdom says heat pumps don’t work. 133 00:08:51,629 --> 00:08:57,509 Many, many people think it’s just too cold here to  bother installing a heat pump, 134 00:08:57,509 --> 00:09:00,197 and so that pretty much never happens. 135 00:09:00,197 --> 00:09:03,713 It does get quite cold for some stretch of every winter - 136 00:09:03,713 --> 00:09:13,040 a few years ago we had a 48 hour period where the actual air temperature didn’t get above -10° F, which is about -23° C. 137 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:18,000 For much of that time, it was warmer  in your freezer than it was outside! 138 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:23,596 But, and very importantly, that’s far from ordinary. 139 00:09:23,596 --> 00:09:27,777 It sticks out in our minds because it hurts to go outside on those days, 140 00:09:27,777 --> 00:09:32,923 but if we actually look at historical data for the winter of 2018 into 2019, 141 00:09:32,923 --> 00:09:34,354 here’s what we find. 142 00:09:34,354 --> 00:09:38,873 In the month of November, we didn’t get anywhere close to 5° Fahrenheit. 143 00:09:38,873 --> 00:09:44,181 And remember, it needs to be colder than that for  a furnace to beat a good heat pump. 144 00:09:44,181 --> 00:09:47,202 In December, the closest we got was 16°. 145 00:09:48,236 --> 00:09:50,226 In January... things got worse, 146 00:09:50,226 --> 00:09:53,292 we spent 2 nights below 5 ° in the third week, 147 00:09:53,292 --> 00:09:58,079 and then that lovely polar vortex hit and things got particularly rough. 148 00:09:58,079 --> 00:10:03,239 Almost the entire last week of January had evenings  below 5 degrees, and then… 149 00:10:03,757 --> 00:10:06,000 well… this wasn’t fun. 150 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,565 But actually? That was… kinda it. 151 00:10:10,565 --> 00:10:14,067 Only three days in February, the 1st, 8th, and 9th, 152 00:10:14,067 --> 00:10:16,405 landed at or below 5 degrees. 153 00:10:16,405 --> 00:10:20,041 In March we had two more days at  the start that dipped below 5, 154 00:10:20,041 --> 00:10:23,953 but then by April we’re essentially out of the woods of Winter so, yeah, 155 00:10:23,953 --> 00:10:26,080 nothing close to that cold was experienced. 156 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:29,600 So, for the entire winter season that year, 157 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:34,451 there were only 14 days where a conventional furnace would have outperformed a heat pump - 158 00:10:34,451 --> 00:10:38,942 when it comes to the amount of fuel needed to produce the same amount of heat. 159 00:10:38,942 --> 00:10:44,317 And for most of those days, it still got above 5 degrees during at least part of the day. 160 00:10:44,317 --> 00:10:48,000 In fact there were only two days the entire year where that didn’t happen. 161 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:52,560 Three if you count the 25th of January  where we just barely hit 5. 162 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:54,937 Actually, why stop there? 163 00:10:54,937 --> 00:10:59,840 We’ve got hourly data, too, how many hours were we below 5 that year? 164 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:05,725 By my count it was 141 hours, or not quite 6 entire days. 165 00:11:05,725 --> 00:11:11,070 So, there were only 6 days of the entire winter season in which, 166 00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:14,816 when it comes to the amount of energy natural gas contains, 167 00:11:14,816 --> 00:11:21,154 a furnace made more sense than a heat pump running  on electricity produced with that natural gas. 168 00:11:21,154 --> 00:11:22,101 That’s… 169 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:24,194 astounding! 170 00:11:24,194 --> 00:11:31,772 Are we willing to say that heat pumps don’t work in Chicago because for six days of the winter we’d have been better off with a furnace? 171 00:11:31,772 --> 00:11:33,946 Well I hope not because that’s ludicrous. 172 00:11:33,946 --> 00:11:35,322 You’d literally be saying 173 00:11:35,322 --> 00:11:42,021 “Well, we shouldn’t with this technology which can reduce our use of energy for 144 days of the five-month heating season 174 00:11:42,021 --> 00:11:45,087 because SOMETIMES it can’t do that.” 175 00:11:45,087 --> 00:11:47,073 Listen to that. It’s ridiculous! 176 00:11:47,073 --> 00:11:48,210 “But sometimes…” 177 00:11:48,210 --> 00:11:53,136 Yeah, sometimes life is hard, and new solutions bring new challenges. 178 00:11:53,136 --> 00:11:55,002 But let’s keep it big picture, alright? 179 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,650 Let’s look at some other years, too. 180 00:11:57,650 --> 00:12:01,924 I’m just gonna look at days, though, finding the total hours is a bit of a pain. 181 00:12:01,924 --> 00:12:07,417 The previous winter had 13 days where the temperature dipped below 5 at some point. 182 00:12:07,417 --> 00:12:09,794 The year before that had only 9. 183 00:12:09,794 --> 00:12:13,275 And 2015 into 2016 had only 8. 184 00:12:13,275 --> 00:12:17,605 Jumping forward, 2019 into 2020 had but 2, 185 00:12:17,605 --> 00:12:20,409 though some days did just hit 5 degrees. 186 00:12:20,409 --> 00:12:26,926 2020 into 2021 experienced 8 days with a low below 5 degrees, all in February incidentally. 187 00:12:26,926 --> 00:12:31,371 And the winter we’re just clawing our way out of now had only 5 days. 188 00:12:31,371 --> 00:12:34,522 Though, it’s not impossible  for there to be another one before May rolls around. 189 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,665 Now, it’s important to note a couple of things. 190 00:12:37,665 --> 00:12:43,563 First, I’m not talking about the monetary cost of  delivered energy here. 191 00:12:43,563 --> 00:12:49,280 I do need to make that clear - the cost of electricity in  your area compared to that of natural gas   192 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:53,100 makes cost comparisons a hyper-local exercise. 193 00:12:53,100 --> 00:12:56,926 Although, recent volatility sure makes this a fluid situation, 194 00:12:56,926 --> 00:13:00,820 and suggests that maybe  we ought to diversify our energy portfolios, 195 00:13:00,820 --> 00:13:04,739 which the electric grid is particularly suited  to do by the way, in case you hadn’t noticed. 196 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,543 But this is a wrinkle to heat pump adoption 197 00:13:08,543 --> 00:13:11,299 that we should probably figure a way around. 198 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:16,079 If it’s more expensive to use the option that saves energy... 199 00:13:16,643 --> 00:13:17,844 that’s a problem. 200 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,749 And second, I do need to acknowledge that those periods of time 201 00:13:21,749 --> 00:13:29,040 where heat pumps can’t get to natural gas parity are  also when heating demand is greatest.   202 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:39,262 So while I can say that there were only 141 hours  in which a furnace would have used fewer resources than a state-of-the-art air-source heat pump in the 2018-2019 Chicago winter season 203 00:13:39,262 --> 00:13:40,065 [inhales] 204 00:13:40,277 --> 00:13:42,170 that’s incomplete. 205 00:13:42,170 --> 00:13:48,593 We’d need to normalize things by weighting that  time more heavily if we want to get a more complete answer. 206 00:13:48,593 --> 00:13:52,000 But I’m not gonna do that for  you because I do not possess the expertise. 207 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,920 However, it is factually the case that right now,   208 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,415 today, BTU for BTU, 209 00:13:58,415 --> 00:13:59,575 therm for therm, 210 00:13:59,575 --> 00:14:01,239 cubic meter for cubic meter, 211 00:14:01,239 --> 00:14:03,582 kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour, 212 00:14:03,582 --> 00:14:08,351 we can heat more homes and businesses by burning  gas in power plants 213 00:14:08,351 --> 00:14:12,000 and using that energy to run simple air-source heat pumps 214 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:19,093 than we can by piping that gas to those places and burning it locally for the vast majority of the winter. 215 00:14:19,093 --> 00:14:26,213 So long as we are going to use natural gas, that is full stop the smarter way to use it most of the time. 216 00:14:26,213 --> 00:14:29,346 And most of the time is what actually matters, folks. 217 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,498 There are also some other marginal benefits to this. 218 00:14:32,498 --> 00:14:35,295 In places that have district heating infrastructure, 219 00:14:35,295 --> 00:14:38,720 the waste heat from those power  plants could be used to heat buildings nearby. 220 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,934 We have very little of that in the US so, ya know... 221 00:14:43,934 --> 00:14:48,296 yay, but methane itself is a really potent greenhouse gas 222 00:14:48,296 --> 00:14:51,552 and leaks in the infrastructure are problematic. 223 00:14:51,552 --> 00:14:56,147 The fact that we have pipes filled with it everywhere around here 224 00:14:56,147 --> 00:15:01,239 and there are countless fittings, junctions, valves, pumping stations, and who knows what else 225 00:15:01,239 --> 00:15:04,082 means we have a lot of potential for leaks. 226 00:15:04,082 --> 00:15:07,402 Eliminating that infrastructure, or at least reducing its use, 227 00:15:07,402 --> 00:15:09,840 can reduce those impacts of natural gas as well. 228 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:14,010 Of course, and for the long-term most importantly, 229 00:15:14,010 --> 00:15:17,864 being electric, a heat pump is energy agnostic. 230 00:15:17,864 --> 00:15:20,555 It doesn’t have to be powered by natural gas, 231 00:15:20,555 --> 00:15:24,290 it can be powered by the sun, by the wind, or by the atom. 232 00:15:24,290 --> 00:15:29,805 And since they use any of those resources  much more efficiently than resistive heating does, 233 00:15:29,805 --> 00:15:35,175 they allow us to electrify many more homes  and businesses with today’s grid output, 234 00:15:35,175 --> 00:15:40,404 and reduce the need for the grid to grow as  more and more places ditch gas altogether. 235 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:46,160 Heat pumps are incredibly important not just  for their immediate ability to curb gas use,   236 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:49,115 but for their long-term sustainability. 237 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,548 Now, I do want to answer a question I’m sure many  of you are asking: 238 00:15:53,548 --> 00:15:57,208 what happens on those *really* cold days? 239 00:15:57,208 --> 00:15:58,705 Well, that depends. 240 00:15:58,705 --> 00:16:04,983 Many units now guarantee operation down to -13°F which is -25°C, 241 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:10,530 but they won’t attain their full output and will  have a poor COP at that temp. 242 00:16:10,530 --> 00:16:15,795 Still generally better than 1, though, so it still makes sense  to run over resistive heat. 243 00:16:15,795 --> 00:16:18,630 If that’s about the coldest temperature you ever experience, 244 00:16:18,630 --> 00:16:23,476 you may not need a backup at all assuming your home is insulated well enough. 245 00:16:23,476 --> 00:16:27,689 But, having some sort of backup may be required depending on where you are. 246 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:33,760 If you have a centrally ducted system this can be  auxiliary, high-powered electric heating elements   247 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,524 often known as heat strips which are placed in  the air handler. 248 00:16:37,524 --> 00:16:42,097 Or you could be pairing a heat pump up with a gas furnace if you so desire. 249 00:16:42,097 --> 00:16:45,329 The backup can be as simple as a few space heaters, 250 00:16:45,329 --> 00:16:48,382 which might be ideal if you’ve chosen a ductless system, 251 00:16:48,382 --> 00:16:53,258 although they’re not very efficient and can be dangerous if not properly used. 252 00:16:53,258 --> 00:17:00,216 It should also be noted that simply bundling up and choosing to tolerate cooler indoor temperatures during those periods is also an option. 253 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,243 The thing to keep in mind about these  backups, though, 254 00:17:03,243 --> 00:17:07,004 is that they are needed only in exceptional cases. 255 00:17:07,004 --> 00:17:12,600 And because modern heat pumps will operate down to -25°C, or -13°F 256 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,468 those cases can be quite rare. 257 00:17:15,468 --> 00:17:18,696 Going back to that 2018-2019 winter season, 258 00:17:18,696 --> 00:17:23,611 here around Chicago we were below that temperature for about 32 hours total, 259 00:17:23,611 --> 00:17:26,538 all consecutive during that polar vortex event. 260 00:17:26,538 --> 00:17:29,040 This past winter, it never got that cold. 261 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:34,496 Again, I know we’re talking about what are today  exceptionally good heat pumps. 262 00:17:34,990 --> 00:17:37,695 Plenty are on the market that don’t perform that well, 263 00:17:37,695 --> 00:17:41,352 and won’t perform at all at those cold temps. 264 00:17:41,352 --> 00:17:46,635 But there are tons of places with much milder heating needs than here, 265 00:17:46,635 --> 00:17:51,220 and in those places the more average-performing models will be great fits. 266 00:17:51,220 --> 00:17:54,399 That’s why they’re pretty common already in the southern US. 267 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:59,029 And let’s not forget - we’re probably only  going to get better at building heat pumps 268 00:17:59,029 --> 00:18:00,626 as time goes on. 269 00:18:00,626 --> 00:18:03,046 In fact, of that I am certain. 270 00:18:03,046 --> 00:18:09,867 I’ll be surprised if in 10 years from now, a COP of 2.5 isn’t maintained down to truly arctic temps. 271 00:18:10,666 --> 00:18:18,220 And also, I do just want to note that every home I’ve lived in so far has had a single point of failure when it comes to the heating system. 272 00:18:18,220 --> 00:18:23,280 When the furnace has stopped working, which it  has, the space heaters come out until it’s fixed. 273 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,475 Maybe don’t fixate on the whole backup situation all that much, is what I’m saying. 274 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:32,960 OK, so I hope we’re in agreement that heat pumps are amazing devices   275 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:38,400 and reduce our need for literally any source of  energy in all but the most extreme temperatures.   276 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:44,080 And to reiterate, that not only means we can  burn less gas as we transition away from it,   277 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:49,710 but also means we need fewer wind turbines, solar farms, nuclear plants, batteries, hydro storage facilities... 278 00:18:50,148 --> 00:18:55,576 literally whatever because reducing the amount of energy we need to heat buildings 279 00:18:55,576 --> 00:19:03,599 reduces the need for all those things and so  makes transitioning to an all-electric future much, much easier. 280 00:19:03,599 --> 00:19:05,587 I say again, with vigor; 281 00:19:05,587 --> 00:19:07,152 More pumping. 282 00:19:07,152 --> 00:19:08,136 More now. 283 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,657 But what does that future look like? 284 00:19:11,657 --> 00:19:14,240 Well, that is in many ways up to you. 285 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:19,561 Air-source heat pumps are really just slightly  refined air conditioners, 286 00:19:19,561 --> 00:19:23,610 and they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and applications - 287 00:19:23,610 --> 00:19:26,182 some of which are really exciting! 288 00:19:26,182 --> 00:19:29,896 However, we also have many challenges we need to overcome— 289 00:19:29,896 --> 00:19:32,830 some real, and some artificial. 290 00:19:32,830 --> 00:19:35,800 But this video’s gone on pretty long as it is. 291 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:40,963 I hope you enjoyed this new part 2? Part 2.5? of my heat pump series, 292 00:19:40,963 --> 00:19:45,195 and in part three we’ll talk about what it  takes to install a heat pump - 293 00:19:45,195 --> 00:19:50,386 both literally, as in, like, what the parts are, where  they go, and how they connect together. 294 00:19:50,386 --> 00:19:56,631 And a look at why the process can be so hard - and what we need to do to fix that. 295 00:19:57,594 --> 00:20:00,168 ♫ importantly smooth jazz ♫ 296 00:20:01,555 --> 00:20:02,852 and air conditioners, 297 00:20:02,852 --> 00:20:06,523 and we're finally starting to collectively realize... 298 00:20:06,523 --> 00:20:08,254 hoo I'm out of breath! 299 00:20:08,254 --> 00:20:10,501 So... what's this one for. 300 00:20:10,501 --> 00:20:14,742 Well, heat pumps are at the t.... [haughhghhg noises] 301 00:20:14,742 --> 00:20:18,274 Largely because I ignored the developments that are already... 302 00:20:18,274 --> 00:20:20,507 whoops. That have happened! 303 00:20:20,507 --> 00:20:21,786 [inhales]. 304 00:20:21,974 --> 00:20:22,500 Hi. 305 00:20:23,628 --> 00:20:24,128 Hi. 306 00:20:27,710 --> 00:20:28,836 Hang on a second. 307 00:20:29,706 --> 00:20:32,081 My eyes are playing tricks on me. 308 00:20:32,081 --> 00:20:33,687 Which is this one. Right now. 309 00:20:33,687 --> 00:20:36,594 It actuallya mae.... 310 00:20:37,534 --> 00:20:40,339 I'm not gonna do that for you because I don't porsess... 311 00:20:40,339 --> 00:20:41,592 Oh crud. 312 00:20:41,592 --> 00:20:45,498 Porsess? I don't porsess the exportise? 313 00:20:47,097 --> 00:20:49,296 So, more pumping more now, amirite? 314 00:20:49,296 --> 00:20:54,837 Seriously, this is probably the single most impactful thing we could be doing in the immediate future for *so* many reasons and in *so* many ways. 315 00:20:54,837 --> 00:21:00,636 Manufacturers need to get cranking, and as we'll see in Part 3... American manufacturers in particular need to learn how to make a decent heat pump. 316 00:21:00,636 --> 00:21:02,255 They're really... quite mediocre at the moment.