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To help determine the effectiveness of a heat pump, you can use both SCoP and CoP to evaluate the energy efficiency of your heat pump system. Both readings highlight the relationship between the energy inputted and the heat it releases.
In this guide, we’re going to explain in more detail the differences and why they are important when choosing the right heat pump for your home.
SCoP stands for Seasonal Coefficient of Performance and can also mean Seasonal Performance Factor, gives you a more accurate idea of how your heat pump will perform across different temperatures throughout the year.
The aroTHERM plus air source heat pump can achieve a potential SCoP of up to 5.03, making it one of the most efficient heat pumps on the market.
SCoP is calculated at a value based on 6 test points at a minimum of 2 flow temperatures (the water that leaves your heat pump and circulates around your radiators or underfloor heating). This data is then used to work out the performance of the heat pump over 12 months. The heat pump will perform above or below the SCoP value depending on the time of year.
A good way to manage the SCoP is by fitting a weather compensating heating control, like Vaillant’s sensoCOMFORT which will automatically adjust the flow temperature to match the fluctuations in the outdoor temperature.
An installed heat pump will show a different SCoP every year depending on the usage pattern and weather conditions.
The temperature in the UK tends to fluctuate, for example if we have a mild winter, it will result in a significantly better SCoP than a freezing winter with temperatures below 0°C.
However, Vaillant heat pumps have been rigorously tested in a variety of climates, including cold temperatures even down to -25°C. This means that regardless of the external weather, your heat pump will still operate efficiency to provide heating and hot water.
CoP stands for Coefficient of Performance and is the efficiency of the heat pump at a specific time point under certain conditions. The higher the CoP, the lower the consumption of electric power and energy is used for the heat pump.
For example, with an outdoor air temperature of 7°C and with the heat pump generating a 35°C flow temperature (A7/W35) this will mean that the aroTHERM plus heat pump has a CoP of up to 5.4. This means for every 1kW of electricity used by the heat pump, you get 5.4kW of heat at this given point.
As CoP is only measured at a certain point of time, it isn’t always the most accurate way of measuring efficiency. In comparison, SCoP gives you an average of efficiency across a 12-month period.
Before having a heat pump commissioned, your installer will need to calculate an estimated SCoP as part of the heat loss calculation. This is to determine whether any home upgrades need to be made and if your home is suitable.
This includes factors such as the average outdoor air temperature of where you live and the size of your current radiators. Your installer may give you a list of recommendations of home improvements to help you get the most out of your heat pump. This can include upgrading the level of insulation from cavity wall to double and triple glazing and switching your radiators to a bigger output.
By making these changes, it can help to boost the performance of your heat pump and when your installer conducts a heat loss calculation in preparation for your heat pump install, it will improve the overall results.
