Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 9, 2026
07:18
Experimental System of Solar Adsorption Refrigeration with Concentrated Collector
Published on: October 18, 2017
15.2K
A New Zealand Heat Pump Retrofit Programme: Warmer, Drier, Happier, Cheaper
Phoebe Taptiklis1, Caroline Fyfe1, Arthur Grimes1,2
1Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Wellington New Zealand.
Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand
|April 8, 2026
Summary
Installing heat pumps in New Zealand homes significantly improved indoor temperatures and reduced humidity. This government initiative also lowered household electricity use and enhanced residents
Area of Science:
- Building Science
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
Background:
- New Zealand's Warmer Kiwi Homes programme provides government-funded heat pumps to insulated homes lacking efficient heating.
- Previous research indicates a need for effective heating solutions in New Zealand homes, particularly during winter.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impacts of heat pump installation on indoor temperature, humidity, electricity usage, and occupant wellbeing.
- To assess the effectiveness of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme in improving living conditions and resident health.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a difference-in-difference approach leveraging staggered heat pump installations.
- Collected data on living area temperatures, relative humidity, and household electricity consumption.
- Conducted pre- and post-installation surveys to gather demographic, housing, and subjective wellbeing data.
Main Results:
- Heat pump installation led to increased living area temperatures, especially during morning and evening, and when outdoor temperatures were low.
- A significant reduction in relative humidity was observed in treated houses.
- Household electricity use decreased, with the most substantial savings occurring in the evening.
- Residents reported reduced perceptions of living in a cold house and improved mental wellbeing during winter.
Conclusions:
- Heat pumps installed through the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme effectively improve indoor climate conditions.
- The programme contributes to reduced household energy consumption and enhanced winter wellbeing for residents.
- Findings support the continued investment in and expansion of home heating initiatives.
Related Concept Videos
01:07Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
3.3K
Refrigerators or heat pumps are heat engines operating in a reverse direction. For a refrigerator, the focus is on removing heat from a specific area, whereas, for a heat pump, the focus is on dumping heat into one particular area. A refrigerator (or heat pump) absorbs heat Qc from the cold reservoir at Kelvin temperature Tc and discards heat Qh to the hot reservoir at Kelvin temperature Th, while work W is done on the engine’s working substance.
A household refrigerator removes heat from...
A household refrigerator removes heat from...
3.3K
02:44Heating and Cooling Curves
28.9K
When a substance—isolated from its environment—is subjected to heat changes, corresponding changes in temperature and phase of the substance is observed; this is graphically represented by heating and cooling curves.
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
28.9K
01:10Heat Engines
3.9K
A heat engine is a device used to extract heat from a source and then convert it into mechanical work used for various applications. For example, a steam engine on an old-style train can produce the work needed for driving the train.
Whenever we consider heat engines (and associated devices such as refrigerators and heat pumps), we do not use the standard sign convention for heat and work. For convenience, we assume that the symbols Qh, Qc, and W represent only the amounts of heat transferred...
Whenever we consider heat engines (and associated devices such as refrigerators and heat pumps), we do not use the standard sign convention for heat and work. For convenience, we assume that the symbols Qh, Qc, and W represent only the amounts of heat transferred...
3.9K
02:46Quantifying Heat
66.0K
Thermal Energy Microscopically, thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. Temperature is a quantitative measure of “hot” or “cold”, which depends on the amount of thermal energy. When the atoms and molecules in an object are moving or vibrating quickly, they have a higher average kinetic energy (KE) (or higher thermal energy), and the object is perceived as “hot”, or it is described as being at a higher temperature. When the...
66.0K
01:23Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas II
4.0K
For a system that undergoes a thermodynamic process at a constant volume condition, the heat absorbed is used only to increase the system's internal energy and not for doing any kind of work. While for a system undergoing a thermodynamic process under a constant pressure condition, the amount of heat absorbed is used not only for increasing the internal energy (as a function of temperature) but also for doing some work. The molar heat capacity is the amount of heat required to increase the...
4.0K
01:25Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas III
3.5K
The number of independent ways a gas molecule can move along straight line, rotate, and vibrate is called its degrees of freedom. Supposing d represents the number of degrees of freedom of an ideal gas, the molar heat capacity at constant volume of an ideal gas in terms of d is
3.5K