A heat pump is a heating system that has an efficiency of about 150 %, that is, for every joule (J) the electrical energy consumed, 1.5 J of heat is produced. Yet according to the law from energy conservation, the energy efficiency of a device should never come into over 100%, since energy cannot be created or destroyed. So there is thermal energy that is transferred from the outside to the inside of the house. Explain why this phenomenon remains possible, even under 0 °C.

Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations and Connections
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ISBN:9781133939146
Author:Katz, Debora M.
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Chapter21: Heat And The First Law Of Thermodynamics
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A heat pump is a heating system that has an efficiency of about 150 %, that is,
for every joule (J) the electrical energy consumed, 1.5 J of heat is produced. Yet according to the law from energy conservation, the energy efficiency of a device should never come into over 100%, since energy cannot be created or destroyed. So there is thermal energy that is transferred from the outside to the inside of the house.

Explain why this phenomenon remains possible, even under 0 °C.

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