Is Heat Pump the same as what Australian's would call a Split System?
Yes! Also often referred to as "Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning" in Australia
:)
Harnessing America's heat pump moment
441–450 of 571 posts
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#442Earlier quoted context omitted.
Batteries for load shifting a few hours mitigate that quite a bit and are getting cheaper fast.
The issue for me with batteries is that in the summer I can produce in a day much more than I can use, and in winter I consume a lot and barely produce anything. This is where net metering steps in- I can ‘store’ all of my excess summer consumption in the grid in summer and get credit for it in winter. A cheaper smaller system right sized for summer consumption with a battery would have my second best option, but for…
Net metering is of course nice for consumers but it’s not sustainable for the grid operators.
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#443Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's the opposite for me, much bigger ROI on the heatpump than solar. Rural property, 10 years old, ~3,500 sq ft + basement, in Canada where summer can be above 30C (86F) and winter below -30C (-20F). Electricity costs (Canadian) 7.6 ¢/kWh off-peak and 15.8 ¢/kWh on-peak here. I spent C$40K (about US$30k) on a ground source aka 'geothermal' heat pump to replace furnace powered by propane tank. I kept propane for on-d…
> Net metering lets me 'store' excess from summer and use it in winter FYI net metering is unsustainable for the grid and policies will probably change (reducing rates for energy, increasing rates for delivery fees to offset the "freebies") as soon as adoption reaches a critical mass.
I’m not sure what you mean by ‘unsustainable’ nor ‘critical mass’ here. Of course not everyone can net meter- on a sunny but mild day with no-one using A/C nor heating and everyone contributing back to the grid it doesn’t work.
My local utility is well aware of that, applications for permits to net meter have to be made, and only a fraction (something like 15%) of properties in each area can net meter. Also the government is aware and there are no grants for net metering, only for battery systems.
I’m giving details about my personal system for one property in one location, not in any way making a statement about what works for anyone else.
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#444Earlier quoted context omitted.
The issue for me with batteries is that in the summer I can produce in a day much more than I can use, and in winter I consume a lot and barely produce anything. This is where net metering steps in- I can ‘store’ all of my excess summer consumption in the grid in summer and get credit for it in winter. A cheaper smaller system right sized for summer consumption with a battery would have my second best option, but for…
Net metering is of course nice for consumers but it’s not sustainable for the grid operators.
It is for a fraction of consumers- power companies and governments are well aware of that.
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#445Maybe I have scar tissue from COVID prices but $20k to install a ductless heat pump vs. a $200 to throw a window A/C in or $700 for a portable heat pump. While I get that these heat pumps are better for the environment and much more efficient it's a last mile issue. The installers charge an arm and a leg and I'm not hurting enough to self install. I'm hoping the window heat pumps that just run off mains will be avail…
I recall the extra cost for heat pumps being criticized for being artificial by Technology Connections. The installers are to blame.
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#446Maybe I have scar tissue from COVID prices but $20k to install a ductless heat pump vs. a $200 to throw a window A/C in or $700 for a portable heat pump. While I get that these heat pumps are better for the environment and much more efficient it's a last mile issue. The installers charge an arm and a leg and I'm not hurting enough to self install. I'm hoping the window heat pumps that just run off mains will be avail…
I recall the extra cost for heat pumps being criticized for being artificial by Technology Connections. The installers are to blame.
How are installers able to discourage competitors from driving down prices?
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#447with mr drill baby drill in the gold house this all seems obsolete
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#448Earlier quoted context omitted.
For comparison, I just bought a house here in Japan. Installed 6 minisplit heat pumps across various rooms in the house. All together it cost me 750,000 yen ($5,000) for the hardware and 90,000 yen ($600) for the install.
In US the labor & markup is a huge component. I got HVAC drop-in replacement quotes ranging from $7k to $14k for what upon some quick research was about $3k in hardware.
This is similar to just about everything mechanical (e.g. auto maintenance). The labor is always the biggest fraction of the cost, not the parts. You always have the option to DIY.
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#449People are reluctant to install them because they don't work as well as the good old boilers we'd be replacing. I'm not saying they can't, and I'm not saying that there are zero models out there that work. But in practice, a lot of us that have interacted with heat pumps have the specific experience that they get anemic as the temperature goes down and eventually become unable to do much of anything. I live in the mi…
The radiators might make you feel warmer despite not actually making the air in the room warmer: the black body radiation from the big warm radiators affects your perception of warmth in a not insignificant way.
Basically the idea behind infrared (and far infrared) heaters. I'm really curious about them, but there's no good way to trial them without buying and installing.
Re: Harnessing America's heat pump moment
#450Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which is weird because they are quite ugly, both inside and outside.
Compared to a conventional A/C compressor (which they replace), heat pump compressors are much smaller, quieter, and less ugly. As for the indoor units, they can either be the "ugly" ones (the indoor head units visible on the wall), recessed "cassettes", or they can use traditional A/C air handlers in a utility room to distribute conditioned air via existing duct-runs and registers. There are also companies like Quil…
I was curious about sound for both the indoor and outdoor pieces. The outside condenser for my current AC is very loud. Are the heat pump units quieter, and if so, why?