The debate continues: Heat Pumps vs Natural Gas
With the soaring cost of fuel, it’s time to take a closer look at the pros and cons of replacing natural gas based heating with electrification.
In the last few years the HVAC industry has seen an increased movement toward electrification. A research report published in July 2021 by IOP Publishing found that 32 percent of homes in the United States would benefit economically from installing an electric heat pump, and 70 percent of U.S. homes could reduce what the authors describe as "emissions damages" by installing a heat pump.
The potential for heat pump adoption varies depending on electric grids, climate, baseline heating fuel costs, and housing characteristics.
A combination strategic, technology, and policy efforts could stimulate higher heat pump adoption rates and deep electrification of the U.S. residential heating sector, which would reduce CO2 emissions and the impacts of climate change.
Heat pump installation costs can be calculated using a coefficient of 143.30 $kW of capacity in all cases, plus a fixed cost that varies from $3300 to $4800.
Studies have shown that heat pump adoption yields a net economic benefit for 21 percent of US single-family houses. When including houses with existing heat pumps, this amounts to a total adoption rate of 32 percent.
From a public welfare viewpoint, the combined climate and health net present value of heat pump adoption is positive for 70 percent of the non-heat-pump housing stock in the United States. This rate may decrease when considering the cost of firming the electric grid to handle increased peak electricity demand: a consequence that many cities will experience.