Do heat pumps work in winter? Experts explain why Nordic countries have installed the most devices

Oyvind Solsta’s “light bulb” moment with heat pumps came upon reading that the heat they produce far exceeds the amount of electricity that goes in.

Installing a heat pump in his house in the hills of Oslo has greatly benefited the 56-year-old communications adviser for a railways company: improving his comfort, finances and climate footprint.

Norway is among the countries with the most heat pumps per capita, along with neighbouring Finland and Sweden.

"When I researched this, I read that a heat pump can generate the heat equivalent of three to four times the amount of electricity you put into it," said Solsta.

"So just that fact made a light bulb go off above my head, thinking 'This has to be clever'."

Hundreds of thousands of Norwegians have had the same bright idea, including Crown Prince Haakon who has had heat pumps installed at his official residence.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) considers the technology as instrumental in combatting climate change as electric vehicles, since heating solutions generate some four billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, representing eight per cent of global emissions.

The fact that Nordic countries, known for their harsh winters, are among the biggest users disproves the often-held assumption that the technology does not work when the temperature plummets.

The myth has fuelled resistance across continental Europe.

"There are a lot of false myths out there about heat pumps. Some oil and gas producing countries such as Russia, some people, some sectors, some businesses don't want to see this transition," explained Caroline Haglund Stignor, a researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

"Yes, heat pumps work in cold climates. Yes, heat pumps work in old buildings."

To heat a home,