Comparison Cooper&Hunter Unitherm 4 Split CH-HP16SIRM4 15 kW vs Electrolux EMHP-16Y/N8+EHB-160/N8 16 kW

The maximum heat output generated by a heat pump is the amount of heat it can transfer from the outdoors into the heating system and/or domestic hot water.

The heat output is the most important spec of a heat pump. It directly determines its efficiency and ability to provide the required amount of heat. Note that this spec is shown for optimal operating conditions. Such conditions are rare, so the actual output heat is usually noticeably lower than the maximum; this must be taken into account when choosing. There are special formulas for calculating the optimal value of the maximum heat output, depending on the specific condition.

Maximum cooling output delivered by the pump.

The pump operates in the cooling mode removing excess heat from the room to the environment — it plays the role of an air conditioner. The required cooling capacity depends on the area of the building, the specs of its thermal insulation and some other factors; methods of its calculation can be found in special sources. Also note here that conventional heating equipment (radiators, underfloor heating) is not suitable for cooling, for this it is necessary to use special equipment (for example, fan coil units).

Electric power consumed by the heat pump when operating only for heat transfer, without the use of an additional heating element (if any, see below). The ratio of thermal power to power input determines the thermal coefficient COP (see below) and, accordingly, the overall efficiency of the unit. It also affects overall power consumption (and therefore electricity bills), as well as some power and connection requirements — for example, models powered by 230 V and with a power of more than 5 kW cannot work from an outlet and require a special connection to the mains.

For more information on power consumption, see the paragraph above. Here is indicated the consumption of electricity during operation in the cooling.

EER is the ratio of the heat pump's output cooling energy to the input electrical energy.

The higher this parameter, the more economical the device is and the higher its energy efficiency class when cooling. Each class has clear requirements for EER.

The power of the heating element installed in the device (if such a function is available).

It isan electric heater in the form of a tube with an incandescent filament inside. Such a heater plays an auxiliary role; it is used when the heat output of the pump itself is not enough — for example, with a significant drop in temperature outside. The main advantage of heating elements is that their efficiency does not depend on outdoor conditions. And the main disadvantage is the high energy consumption. If the heat pump can transfer much more heat energy than it consumes electricity, then the heat output of the heating element is approximately equal to the consumed one. That is why the specs indicate the power of the heating element in general, without specifying what it is about: the indicated figure corresponds to both the heating power and energy consumption. These parameters are similar to those of the heat pump itself; see above for more details.

The highest temperature to which the pump can heat the coolant. It is worth noting that such indicators can be achieved at a fairly high temperature of air or ground. And since heat pumps are used during the cold season, the actual maximum temperature, usually, is less than theoretically achievable. Nevertheless, this parameter makes it possible to evaluate the capabilities of the unit or its suitability for certain tasks.

Like the standard COP (see above), this parameter describes the overall efficiency of the heat pump in heating operation and is calculated by the formula: thermal (useful) power divided by electricity consumption. The higher the coefficient, the more efficient the device. And the difference between COP and SCOP is that COP is measured under strictly standard conditions (outside temperature +7 °C, full workload), and SCOP takes into account seasonal temperature fluctuations (for Europe), changes in pump operating modes, the presence of an inverter and some other options. Thanks to this, SCOP is closer to real indicators, and since 2013 this coefficient has been taken as the main one in the territory of the European Union. However, this characteristic is also used for devices supplied to other countries with a similar climate. And in a specific case, measurements are carried out at a water supply temperature of 35 °C.

The energy efficiency class characterizes the efficiency of electricity consumption by a heat pump. In this case, the final result is at a water supply temperature of 35°. The most energy efficient models have class A with a certain number of pluses (A+, A++, A+++, the more pluses — the lower the energy consumption), the more energy consuming — A, B, C and so on as energy efficiency decreases.