Even though our climate is not particularly hot, it is very humid. Even on cooler days you still want to be running your AC system as a dehumidifier when the outside humidity is over 60% to avoid mould growth and to reduce the spread of dust mites for allergy sufferers. This goes double for older properties without cavity wall insulation to prevent dampness seeping in.
I've often wondered why as a society we have aircon nearly everywhere except in the home. In the office, in most indoor public spaces and shops, in our cars we have it but not in the place we spend most of our time. Of course our regulations are the cause.
Not necessary when Britain only gets hot weather for 40 days of the year, even taking into account climate change causing hotter summers and lukewarm winters.
Sadly I don't think it's quite that simple. In heating mode, the waste heat from electricity contributes to useful heating, but in cooling mode it's wasted. Also, in cooling mode, latent heat has to be removed (dehumidification) as well as sensible heat. In heating mode you're only adding sensible heat. So all in all I believe more energy is needed per degree difference for cooling. But it's true that we'll be dealing with smaller temperature differences in summer than in winter, and of course far fewer cooling days than heating days.
Britain needs AC, but due to government policies it only gets DC.
It's an electric joke.
Even though our climate is not particularly hot, it is very humid. Even on cooler days you still want to be running your AC system as a dehumidifier when the outside humidity is over 60% to avoid mould growth and to reduce the spread of dust mites for allergy sufferers. This goes double for older properties without cavity wall insulation to prevent dampness seeping in.
I've often wondered why as a society we have aircon nearly everywhere except in the home. In the office, in most indoor public spaces and shops, in our cars we have it but not in the place we spend most of our time. Of course our regulations are the cause.
I remember thinking when I heard the heat pumps are also air conditioners "people need to know about this!"
Not necessary when Britain only gets hot weather for 40 days of the year, even taking into account climate change causing hotter summers and lukewarm winters.
Also water heating with an immersion heater isn’t crazy expensive.
Isn’t the reasoning on non-reversible heat pumps because heating replaces energy use from gas heating but cooling replaces nothing?
Regardless, it shouldn’t be an issue. Solar panels and nuclear + reversible heat pumps works extremely well in both winter and summer.
You also don’t really need much energy for cooling because you are calling a small amount so a heat pump is incredibly efficient.
With a heater you have a delta of 20-25 degrees C. With cooling you are doing 10 or maybe a little more.
Interesting, is the relationship linear?
Sadly I don't think it's quite that simple. In heating mode, the waste heat from electricity contributes to useful heating, but in cooling mode it's wasted. Also, in cooling mode, latent heat has to be removed (dehumidification) as well as sensible heat. In heating mode you're only adding sensible heat. So all in all I believe more energy is needed per degree difference for cooling. But it's true that we'll be dealing with smaller temperature differences in summer than in winter, and of course far fewer cooling days than heating days.
Looks like a curve as per https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542435123003513#fig2