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Oxford study proves heat pumps triumph over fossil fuels in the cold
(www.nationalobserver.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
If you have a generator, you can easily run the heat pump off of them as well, but it's seldomly needed... if ever.
I live in Canada where it's commonly -30c or colder in the winter. heat pumps work fine around here and quite a few places have them, from houses to factories. The only problem is the initial set up costs, because the lines have to get buried below the frost line (6-8 feet down). After that it's smooth sailing for the most part.
Even in power outages, heated floors can retain their heat for much longer than conventional means, sometimes up to a day or two.
And the best part, is in the summer, you just reverse the system and it's an air conditioner pumping your house heat into the ground to use again next winter.