True, it's not a full loss. A heat pump can easily be 400% efficient, though, so I'd rather lean on that except in extreme cold.
Still, not a bad idea to run Folding@Home all winter.
Still, not a bad idea to run Folding@Home all winter.
Some very efficient pumps can work down to 0 degrees, but most start losing efficiency at 25 to 40 (Fahrenheit).
For some parts of the world, a heat pump is perfect - pump in heat in the winter and heat out in the summer, but when the outside temperature can hit -40º Fahrenheit (which is -40º Celsius), you're gonna need something else.
Losing efficiency is fine since they are so ridiculously efficient to begin with.