Is a 100% Electric House Possible in Southern Chile?

Traditionally, in southern Chile, it is assumed that to stay warm you have to burn wood. "Electricity is too expensive for heating," they say. And they are right... if your house leaks heat everywhere.

The Equation of Electric Comfort

For a 100% electric house to be economically viable, you need to reduce thermal demand.

If a traditional house loses 100 units of heat per hour, you need a powerful (and expensive) system to replace those 100 units constantly. But if your house, thanks to the Canadian Standard, only loses 20 units per hour, the equation changes drastically.

The Dynamic Duo: Insulation + Heat Pump

1. R100+ Insulation: Our perimeter walls filled with high-density mineral wool and thermally sealed reduce heat loss by 80% compared to simple masonry.
2. Inverter Air Conditioning (Heat Pump): These units are magic. For every 1kW of electricity they consume, they deliver 3kW or 4kW of heat. They are 300% or 400% efficient.

What do you gain by eliminating gas and firewood?

• Safety: No risk of gas leaks or fires from dirty chimneys.
• Cleanliness: Forget about chopping wood, cleaning ashes, or breathing smoke inside your house.
• Future: An electric house is ready to connect solar panels (Photovoltaic). When battery costs go down, you could become almost self-sufficient.

That 80% reduction in heat loss also depends on sealing the openings well: choosing the right thermopane windows for the southern zone is just as decisive as wall insulation. The whole insulation logic comes from the Nordic design adapted to the Chilean climate we apply on every project.

At Canadian Houses, we deliver homes ready for this future, with electrical connections sized for clean and efficient heating. See how we build with the Canadian system on our construction of homes in southern Chile page.