What is the COP value, why is it important when choosing a heat pump?
If someone plans to buy a heat pump, they run into the COP pointer sooner rather than later.
This indicator is the most common value used to characterize heat pumps. The pointer itself is an English acronym derived from the term “Coefficience of performance”. The COP value is a ratio that shows how many kW of heating power can be produced with one kW of absorbed electrical energy. The higher the COP value of an asset, the more efficient it is typically able to operate. As we are talking about a commonly used indicator, it can be a basis for comparison before buying different assets. But for example, the service provider also stipulates a minimum value to request the Geo tariff.
COP [W/W] = Delivered (heating) power / Power consumption
What other indicators can we encounter? What does the abbreviation EER, SEER, SCOP cover?
As long as the COP value is used for heating efficiency, the same is expressed by the EER (energy efficiency ratio) for cooling operation. The calculation principle is the same as for the COP indicator. The cooling capacity must be divided by the required electrical power consumption. The ratio shows how efficient the unit can be during cooling operation. The higher the value of the indicator, the more effective the tool is – this statement is also true here.
It is worth knowing about the COP and EER indicators of the devices that they are theoretical values, which are measured under certain parameters. The most important parameters are the outside and inside temperature, but in addition to these can be the flow temperature or the air humidity. During operation, deviations from the standard measurement conditions result in deviations from the efficiency indicated in the COP or EER indicator
SCOP and SEER indicators have been introduced to address this phenomenon. The first letter “S” of the indicators refers to seasonality, ie that the given efficiency indicator is a value calculated separately for the heating and cooling season. The calculation of the SCOP and SEER coefficients also takes into account the development of colder and less cold and warmer and less hot days of the period. While the SEER indicator is territorially uniform in Europe, the SCOP indicator divides Europe into four different climate zones and the value of the indicator for each climate zone is given in a regulation. The SCOP and SEER values, using a more complex calculation, usually better indicate the actual performance expected during the heating and cooling season.
How do we use indicators?
It should never be forgotten that efficiency indicators are values measured and calculated under standard conditions, which can be influenced by both local temperature conditions and individual mechanical solutions. Nevertheless, given the COP, EER, SCOP, SEER indicators, we can approximate the expected performance of heat pumps well, and the joint interpretation provides a stable basis for comparing different devices.
