this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
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Keeping the energy thermal avoids a conversion step, and hence one area of inefficiency, especially as we use a lot of our energy for heating. There's been some interesting progress on heat batteries which would pair well with a solar concentrator.
The funny thing is, converting to electricity and running a heat pump can be more efficient than simply using the heat, as long as the outside temperature is not too low
Air transfer heat pumps just seem like poor planning to me. Ground or groundwater heat sink is so much better. Some initial expense when building a house but works forever.
Air medium heat pumps: Let's heat the house to 70F using 20F air Let's cool the house to 70F using 110F air
Groundwater medium heat pumps: Let's heat the house to 70F using 60F groundwater when it's 20F out Let's cool the house to 70F using 60F groundwater when it's 110F out
It's because the sand is at 600c which would wreak havoc if you had water pumping through the tubing. Air is cheaper to do handle at those temperatures.