How much does a heat pump "burn" per hour?
The consumption of a heat pump per hour depends on the coefficient of performance (COP) of the pump, the thermal power required for heating or cooling the space and the operating conditions (such as outside temperature, room temperature, etc.).
To calculate consumption, we follow the following procedure:
- Required thermal power (in kW): It is the amount of heat required to heat or cool the space. This value depends on the volume of the space, its insulation, the temperature we want to maintain, etc.
- Coefficient of Performance (COP): COP shows how much heat is produced for each unit of electricity consumed. For example, if the COP is 4, it means that for every 1 kWh of electricity the heat pump consumes, 4 kWh of thermal energy will be produced.
- Consumption Calculation: Energy consumption per hour is calculated as follows:
Example:
Let's assume that the heat pump has a thermal power 6 kW and one COP 4.
The energy consumption per hour will be:
This means that the heat pump will consume 1.5 kWh of electricity per hour to produce 6 kW of thermal power.
Important points:
- THE COP may vary depending on outdoor temperatures and pump operating conditions. At colder outdoor temperatures, the COP usually decreases, which increases energy consumption.
- THE thermal power depends on the needs of the space (e.g., room size, indoor temperature, insulation, etc.).
If you know the thermal power and COP of your pump, you can easily calculate the energy consumption.