A heat pump is essentially an air conditioner that works in reverse when it’s cold: moving heat indoors in winter and outdoors in summer.
Today, heat pumps dominate in the US Southeast, where warm, humid summers and mild winters make them ideal. They’re also taking off in Canada’s Maritime provinces, where they provide a low-cost alternative to heating oil.
Still, in the coldest parts of the continent, natural gas and hybrid systems will likely remain key for backup heat on the chilliest days, reminding us that even the cleanest technologies have geographic limits.
Written by Aaron Foyer, Vice President of Research and Analytics at Orennia
✉️ As always, feel free to reach out to me at aaron.foyer@orennia.com