Posted on 12/25/2021 8:03:33 AM PST by Chad C. Mulligan
Biden isn’t leading anything. His handlers are.
Well said…but I would primarily blame the gas supply ( not the generators themselves) which froze more than anything. And I would blame the lack of a capacity market (rest of country has a capacity market).
But no matter what things are better in Texas than any other spot in this country and 1000x better than the rest of the world.
Looks like Germany has a plan to become a third world hellhole...
“Germany also has a plan to kick its natural gas habit, with plans to end power generation from gas by 2040. Currently, half of all German homes are heated with natural gas. By 2026, a ban in Germany on the installation of heating in new homes using any type of petroleum products will go into effect in favor of heat pumps that draw electricity from the grid.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
AOC and gang are salivating..
“Commitment to heat pumps was a prime factor in taking down the Texas grid during the recent cold snap.”
First that I heard of that. Might you have a link? I don’t see too many heat pumps in Texas - everything is either gas or resistance heating (and propane in the sticks). But not much in the way of heat pumps, yet, although they would be a good idea in this climate (versus the widespread use of resistance heating...in virtually every apartment).
“This means that until negative 13F this heat pump is more efficient than gas or resistive electrics.”
Yep, they are more ‘efficient’ than gas...but gas is (or at least was) FAR CHEAPER per kwh (or BTU), so gas still came out ahead of heat pumps, although not by much.
“The question I have is why heat pumps don’t work when ambient temps drop below freezing as you suggested.”
Most heat pumps are try to pull heat out of the air, which is the problem with cold temperatures.
But what about cost? Quick search looks like an air pump is 2-4x the cost of a regular AC unit, and ground pumps are 3-4x the cost of the air pump, assuming you have the land space to even install the loops. Sure, it might be energy-efficient to get them installed, but is it really cost efficient? Saving $100 a month can, for some systems, take a decade or more to be worth it, ignoring opportunity cost. They might make more sense in places like Europe where electricity is expensive and gas is crazy expensive or non-existent, but are they really worth it here in Texas and other places in these US?
But to your -13F efficiency, that’s not what I’m seeing... Most look to be efficient down to maybe 32F, then electric resistance is a cheaper heating option. And a gas furnace is more cost-efficient at much higher temps, especially in Texas where gas is cheap.
Thank you for your reply as it is always nice to hear from another member. Aside from that, the only heat pumps I came in contact with are the ones utilizing the constant ground temperature at their location, which of course may vary with their geographical location.
Do those 11 laws have a chance of correcting the problems that occurred 02/2021? If we happen to have the same weather pattern this winter, what is going to happen? Besides the ERCOT board, who else should be in jail because of the 210(+?) MURDERED Texans?
Ceaucescue found thtat out.
But of course.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez and her ilk are doing the same to the USA as the green-left coalition of horror has done - and continues doing - to my hapless country.
Since the first red-green administration - and later under Commie Merkel - German passports have been handed out like candy to migrants, most of whom have been, and will be, living on the dole for as long as they live.
Needless to say, they will never be voting for any conservative candidate.
Doesn’t all of this sound all-too familiar, Ladies and Gentlemen?
I daresay that we are all in this mess together.
“Shutting down the ONLY viable option to fossil fuels, i.e. nuclear, is so monumentally stupid” Perfect description of Chancellor Merkel
Zeit zu marschieren!
Well Germany would have to tell the EU not to warn the Russians and tell the Americans to knock it off with the sanctions if things escalate with Ukraine.
“heat pumps will always be more efficient than gas which is a first law combustion process ALWAYS.”
Heat pumps move heat. Burning gas creates heat.
As I understand your post, below a certain temperature the become less efficient than gas or electric heat so not “always”
“The ground below ten feet is usually always around 75 F. So, as long as you have electricity to keep the circulating pump going things should be OK.”
You can’t get enough heat transfer unless you tap into a water source.
Thank you very much. I have a feeling that the geographic location may have something to do with it as well, as I have a hunch the further north you go the cooler the ground temperature may go, of course up to a point until you hit the permafrost region, and there you may be out of luck.
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