Quote:
Originally Posted by opendoor
A heat pump will be much more expensive to run than a gas furnace in Alberta. And until the grid has more low-carbon sources, it'll likely generate more emissions as well. Using gas to produce electricity isn't all that efficient, so you're losing a lot of energy vs. just burning it for heat even with the efficiency of a heat pump.
Even in coastal BC, with much milder weather and cheaper electricity, good heat pumps are just basically at par for heating costs compared to a modern gas furnace. However, the reduction in carbon emissions is significant given that almost all the power is generated by hydro. That's not the case in Alberta, where using a heat pump is basically equivalent to using a generator to produce electricity and then using that electricity for heat.
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Fair enough, I was just considering how to weight it, if we'e going to blow the money on an AC unit anyways, and if a Duel Fuel option is something thats used in places, having both a heat pump and a gas furnace installed.
I do think Albertas grid is greening pretty fast. I know we are years ahead of schedule on Coal phase out. 3 years ago we had 8 left, now we only have 2. We also this year have the largest solar installation in the country opening. So generally from a "green" prospective as a consumer, I think it's good to electrify even if your energy isn't cleaner, because it's then possible for the market to make your usage cleaner, while if you buy a combustion product the market can't correct that half way through it's life.