Heat Pump COP Calculator

Calculate the coefficient of performance (COP) of a heat pump and compare operating costs to conventional heating.

BTU/hr
watts
hours
USD/kWh

Coefficient of Performance

3.52 COP

Annual Heating Cost900 USD
Equivalent Gas Furnace Cost1,174 USD
Savings vs Gas Furnace274 USD

Coefficient of Performance vs Electricity Rate

How to Calculate Heat Pump COP

COP measures how efficiently a heat pump converts electricity into heat.

Formula

COP = Heat Output (BTU/hr) / (Electrical Input (W) * 3.412)

A COP of 3 means the heat pump produces 3 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity. This is possible because heat pumps move existing heat rather than generating it.

Typical COP Values

  • Air-source heat pump: 2.5-4.0
  • Ground-source (geothermal): 3.5-5.0
  • Resistance heating: 1.0
  • Example Calculation

    A heat pump producing 36,000 BTU/hr using 3,000W of electricity, running 2,000 hours/year at $0.15/kWh.

    1. 01COP: 36,000 / (3,000 * 3.412) = 36,000 / 10,236 = 3.52
    2. 02Annual electricity: 3,000 * 2,000 / 1,000 = 6,000 kWh
    3. 03Heat pump cost: 6,000 * $0.15 = $900
    4. 04Gas furnace equivalent: 36,000 * 2,000 / 100,000 * $1.50 / 0.92 = $1,174

    Frequently Asked Questions

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