Electric Heating for House?

[jaedaliu]

In combination with a variable speed air-handler it allows a linear 100% efficiency down to 15F with the 2 and 3-ton units and 5F with the 4 and 5-ton units.

I just wanted to highlight one thing that isn't getting enough attention about heat pumps.

Efficiency vs performance:
Heat pumps are nice because, when the conditions are right, they produce more heat than energy they consume. (okay, they don't produce heat, but they bring it in from the colder outside. Heat pumps seem like magic!)

Wiki says it well:
When used for heating a building on a mild day, for example 10 °C, a typical air-source heat pump (ASHP) has a COP of 3 to 4, whereas an electrical resistance heater has a COP of 1.0. That is, one joule of electrical energy will cause a resistance heater to produce only one joule of useful heat, while under ideal conditions, one joule of electrical energy can cause a heat pump to move much more than one joule of heat from a cooler place to a warmer place. Note that an air source heat pump is more efficient in hotter climates than cooler ones, so when the weather is much warmer the unit will perform with a higher COP (as it has less work to do). Conversely in extreme cold weather the COP approaches 1. Thus when there is a wide temperature differential between the hot and cold reservoirs, the COP is lower (worse).

So, even though electricity may be more expensive, your heat pump might be introducing 4x the amount of heat into your house when compared to the amount of energy drawn at the wall. And this is why it's great for warmer climates (or geothermal because the earth's temperature is higher than the air in the winter)

 

[skimple]

A heat pump should not be running constantly in winter. If it's running constantly, then the problem is that it's not able to keep up with the heating demand. Or that the fan is wired to be running even when the heat pump isn't running itself. I've lived in houses with heat pumps here in Seattle. They're great options here because of our mild winters and they definitely do not "run constantly in cold weather."

Here, our electric company starts going into punitive rate increases once a home's usage is over 600 kw/h per month. I cannot imagine using close to 4,000 kw/h per month for 1800 square foot like you do in winter. That's a metric crap-ton of electricity. Here in Seattle that sort of usage would mean a $400/month electric bill.

That's more than an extra $300/month over my normal usage (at a house with all-electric appliances and on a well that uses a 2-hp electric pump to supply water).

ZV

I pay 3.5c per KWH in the summer and 5.3c per KWH in winter, but I get 1000 KWH included in the monthly service. My electric bill runs $200 - $250 in the winter, and about $40 in the summer. And I have no other utility bills.

In cold climates (not Seattle), the heat pump does run constantly. The heat pump is most effective when it works to "maintain" the temperature of the house rather than "recover" the temperature of the house. Because it can't generate "hot" air, a steady stream of room temperature air is used instead.

We throw the emergency heat on when it gets into the 20s. Even with that, once the house heats up and the emergency heat kicks off, the heat pump keeps running.

Your punitive rate increases are because of where you live, it has nothing to do with whether you are using too much electricity. I may use a "metric crap-ton of electricity", but I use no natural gas, no oil, and no propane. I have one line to my house and create no combustion exhaust.

 

[Leyawiin]

My ideal house here in California would be solar panels and electric heat. Seriously, I'm planning on it eventually.

 

[imagoon]

Here, our electric company starts going into punitive rate increases once a home's usage is over 600 kw/h per month.

Might not be everywhere but most electric heat locations are attached to a second meter that is billed at a "heat" rate that is lower than standard power and isn't punitive.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I pay 3.5c per KWH in the summer and 5.3c per KWH in winter, but I get 1000 KWH included in the monthly service. My electric bill runs $200 - $250 in the winter, and about $40 in the summer. And I have no other utility bills.

I would kill for those rates. It's 8.6 cents/kWh for the first 600 kWh here and then 10.5 cents/kWh after that. There is no "included" amount in the connection fee (~7.50/month) here either.

Of note, the rates I pay are low compared to the national average (US national average is 11.88 cents/kWh). In fact, only 2 states in the country (Arkansas and North Dakota) have lower average electricity costs than Washington state. The average for New York state is 21.75 cents/kWh.

Basically, your position is skewed by absurdly low electric rates in your specific location. At the national average electric rates, your setup would cost about $140 in the summer and $475 in the winter each month.

Electric rate averages by state.

ZV

 

[bradley]

I would also kill for those rates. As I posted previously on this forum, New York and eight other Northeastern states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont) are participants in an illegal cap and trade scheme of which actual public awareness is extremely low.

My electric rates for Jan 2014 were an outrageous .37kWh. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie opted out of RGGI and is currently embroiled in a bitter lawsuit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Greenhouse_Gas_Initiative

Eventually I'm going solar as the panels become more efficient and cost-effective.

Here's a great operating cost calculator (based on location and energy prices) which Carier HVAC would be right for you.

http://sagoro.wrightsoft.com/Carrier/Default.aspx