What is the power consumption of a heat pump according to its COP?

Are you tempted by environmentally friendly heating equipment? Are you anxious to find an economical equipment like a heat pump?

Do you often wonder how much electricity a heat pump consumes according to the COP? Well, don’t panic, follow our article to the end and you will find the answer and everything you need to know about it.

General information on heat pumps

In fact, the heat pump is not only economical but also ecological. Its role is to cool or heat while recovering energy from water or the ground, or from the air. With some heat pump models, it is even possible to have domestic hot water.

While the operation is almost the same for each pump, its power consumption varies according to its type.

How a heat pump works

As mentioned above, the heat pump is a heating or hot water production device that recovers calories from the natural environment, soil, water or air. The energy it acquires is then combined in its closed circuit and this is what generates the production of gas.

The evaporation of the refrigerant in the pump increases the temperature to produce heat. In order to fulfil its role, it is equipped with central heating or fan coil units to distribute the heat in a room.

Thus, the work of the heat pump consists of :

Capturing calories
Compressing gas
Diffusing heat

To do this, the device requires electrical energy, but this heat pump consumption is minimal compared to other heaters.

This operation may differ depending on the model.

The different types of heat pumps

The different pump models are grouped into three categories, such as :

Hydraulic heat pumps
Aerothermal heat pumps
Geothermal heat pumps

Hydraulic heat pumps

This type of heat pump recovers calories from water sources. It has a generator to do the work and also to send the captured energy into the closed circuit. It is the water radiator’s turn to diffuse the heat that the pump has produced. The diffusion can be provided by the underfloor heating.

Aerothermal heat pumps

These are heat pumps that draw energy from the air and introduce it into their heating system. They are equipped with low-temperature radiators or underfloor heating or even fan coil units to distribute heat. This type can be an air-to-water heat pump or an air-to-air heat pump, but both can be reversible.

Ground source heat pumps

These capture heat from the ground and convert it into heat or hot water. This type of heat pump also exists in two models, ground-to-air heat pump and ground-to-water heat pump, but they do not require supplementary heating.

The consumption of a heat pump

In general, the consumption of a heat pump depends on the COP, the coefficient of performance. When the COP is high, the pump consumes less energy. For example, for every 4 kWh of thermal energy produced, a heat pump consumes 1 kWh of electricity.

The electricity consumption of a heat pump is not the same depending on the type of equipment. However, whether it is an air-to-air pump, or an air-to-water pump, or a ground-to-water pump, or a ground-to-air pump, or a water-to-water pump, the consumption differs.

On average, this consumption is 51 kWh/m2 per year for an air-to-water pump. The geothermal type consumes 35 kWh/m2 per year.

However, heat pump consumption depends on several factors such as

Its quality
Its brand
Its technical characteristics
Etc.

The electricity consumption of a heat pump can also depend on the type of supplementary heating used. This may be a fan coil unit, low temperature radiator, central heating, underfloor heating or other.

The climate is also an influence on consumption. In regions that are very cold, the heat pump tends to consume much more electricity. This is because the energy captured in the natural environment still requires a high temperature.

The need for heating will also change the electricity consumption of a pump. This depends on the consumption habits and the size and number of rooms to be heated.

It should be noted that a well installed and well regulated heat pump consumes less. The insulation of the house is also a parameter to be taken into account. A well-insulated house consumes less electricity. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out thermal insulation work on the house in order to reduce the electricity consumption of a pump. This also limits heat loss.

How is heat pump consumption calculated?

The electricity consumption of a pump is calculated from the surface area of the house, the COP and the consumption per^m2 of the heat pump. Simply multiply the electricity consumption per^m2 of the device by the surface area of the house.

However, the technology used can influence the result. This is why it is difficult to give a real consumption value. Nevertheless, we will give you some examples to give you an idea of the power consumption of a heat pump.

Take a look at this table to see some examples

TYPE OF HEAT PUMPACCORDING TO COP	SURFACE AREA OF THE HOUSE IN M²	ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION OF THE HEAT PUMPIN AVERAGE
COP 4 air-to-air heat pump	100^m2	5 100 kWh
COP 5 geothermal heat pump	150^m2	5 250 kWh
Water-to-water heat pump COP 5 or 6	220^m2	7,700 kWh

Buying a heat pump is a real investment that allows you to save a little more. Its annual electricity consumption is low, even though it costs more than other heating solutions.