A heat pump that can operate down to -28C! Wow

[NickB79]

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/11/29/lg-launches-residential-air-to-water-propane-heat-pump/

The new product utilizes propane (R290) as a refrigerant and has a global warming potential of 3. According to the manufacturer, it can achieve a flow temperature of 75 C and 100% heating output even at extremely low outside temperatures of -15 C, with the operating range reaching down to -28 C.
LG is offering the heat pump in four versions with nominal capacities of 9 kW, 12 kW, 14 kW and 16 kW. Its seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) is reportedly over 5.
The manufacturer said the heat pump can also be integrated with energy storage systems (ESS) to maximize the use of residential PV systems.
“Surplus energy can be stored in the ESS battery and diverted to the AWHP’s integrated water tank during the daytime, when solar energy production is at its peak,” it explained. “In the evening, when energy consumption is typically high, the ESS utilizes the stored energy to provide hot water and to power home appliances, boosting energy efficiency and energy self-reliance.”

That is amazing. We replaced our propane furnace 5 yr ago with a new Carrier unit, and replaced the AC with a Carrier Infinity heat pump that integrates to the furnace. It can operate down to 15F, at which point the system kicks in the gas furnace. Now, instead of burning gas 7 months of the year (Oct to April, since we're in Minnesota), we burn it 3 months. We save hundreds of dollars per year.

With this kind of advancement, it's getting close to the point a person could get off gas completely, even in a northern climate.

I may consider replacing my heat pump in a decade now, and removing my propane furnace altogether.

[CousinIT]

1. Just replaced my electric heat pump with a new Carrier...

....it should last 10+ years. By that time, I'd expect some phenomenal new tech like in your OP to be available -- and unfortunately MUCH more expensive too! I know that there are newer models now than mine even though it's new. The R410 refrigerant it uses won't be used in the newer ones, though it will remain available for years in order to service older models. I never had gas, mine was always electric.

[Think. Again.]

3. I think that as the market for this tech grows...

...the cost should decrease, as all new technology does as it scales up.

[Think. Again.]

2. This clean energy industry is still so young...

...all of these advancements in non-CO2 emitting technology have just begun and will continue to improve (as technology does) and continue to drop in cost as the industry itself, as a whole, scales up to a broader market, for years to come.

[hunter]

4. Using water to transfer heat has two great advantages over conventional heat pumps.

Flammable refrigerants such as propane are kept outside the house and installation is much simplified.

I don't need a heat pump that goes down to -28C, -5C would be plenty adequate in our climate.

I'm looking forward to replacing our gas heat with something like this.

[3catwoman3]

5. I have never been so cold...

...inside a house as I was when we spent a long weekend with friends who had a heat pump. It was winter. They lived in northern Virginia. I felt like I was carved out of ice.

[hunter]

7. The old school heat pumps quit working as the weather outside approached freezing.

The heat pump would turn off and an undersized (and expensive!) electric resistance heater would kick in.

My great aunt and uncle had one. The only way to keep the house warm was to keep the thermostat set to at least 70F all day and night. The heat pump could not warm a cold house in the morning so you did not turn the thermostat down at night. My great aunt was okay with that.

Modern heat pumps are vastly improved.

[moonshinegnomie]

6. nat gas heat vs electric

currently the US generates 60% of its electricity from nat gas or coal. if more people switched from nat gas for heating to electricity that would require more power plants. assuming that the new plants were 50% fossil fuel burning and 50% renewable how much would co2 emissions drop. (yes i realize that if the new plants were 100% renewable then there no doubt electricity for heating is better but im going to assume the fuel mix for any new plants would be nearly the same as current usage). aslo theres the cost factor. electric heat is much more expensive than nat gas heating

[hunter]

8. With electric resistance heating you get a kilowatt hour of heat for every kilowatt hour of electricity consumed.

With heat pumps you get many kilowatt hours of heat for every kilowatt hour of electricity consumed -- how much heat depends on the outside temperature. Over an entire heating season modern high efficiency heat pumps will deliver more than 9 kilowatt hours of heat for every kilowatt hour of electricity consumed. In mild climates they'll do even better than that.

Even with an all gas power grid, and accounting for electrical line losses, a modern heat pump will have substantially lower carbon emissions than a gas furnace or water heater. Other air pollutants will be reduced as well. Gas water heaters and furnaces emit all sorts of air pollutants.