Quote:
Originally Posted by jrwilson
So it loads the alternator to power the existing compressor but instead of using the cold flow it uses the hot? That seems wasteful? Or does producing heat use way less power than producing cold?
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Think of it as moving heat from one place to another. With AC, you are moving heat from the cabin to the outside world. Reversing the refrigerant flow moves heat from the outside to the cabin.
Both 'directions' consume power, however, using a compressor to enhance the process results in more heating/cooling capacity than the power used to rotate the compressor. The relationship between power in and cooling/heating power out is called the COP (coefficient of performance). The compressor we use has an average COP of around 2.4. Hence 1000 watts of power in, gets you 2.4kW of heat or cooling.
To put that into context, a modern Webasto gasoline heater (STC2000) is 2kW.