In the past, heat pumps were not expected to perform well in colder climates, but as the technology has developed that is no longer the case. In fact, it is common now to find heat pumps functioning well in very cold climates, such as in Finland and Norway.
Shifting to heat pumps is keeping homes warm in very cold conditions, saving consumers money, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption. Recently in the USA, no state is adopting heat pumps faster than Maine, where homes have traditionally depended on oil or propane for heating.
For further reading on heat pumps in cold climates, see:
- “Why Mainers Are Falling Hard for Heat Pumps” by Cara Buckley, New York Times, March 2, 2024.
- “Do heat pumps work in the cold?” by Hannah Ritchie, from “Sustainability by numbers” on Substack, February 22, 2024.