A 12-month competition tracking heat pump performance in lived-in homes proved that these efficient heating and cooling systems can save homeowners hundreds of dollars annually and maintain comfortable temperatures — even during freezing weather.
Seven installations of the Vitocal 150-A domestic air source heat pump achieved an average seasonal efficiency of 4.1, per results from Viessmann Climate Solutions' Top of the SCOPs competition, as Installer reported.
Seasonal efficiency measures how efficiently the systems convert electricity into heat across an entire year — and a seasonal coefficient of performance of 4.1 means the heat pumps produce 4.1 units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed, exceeding the government efficiency threshold by 46%.
"Many of our finalists have been designing low-temperature heating systems and fitting Viessmann products for a decade or more — their work signals the efficiency wins that are possible for our industry as it goes from strength to strength," Cameron Beech, head of product management at Viessmann Climate Solutions U.K., said.
For homeowners, that kind of efficiency means big savings. A SCOP of 4.1 could save you around $340 annually compared to gas heating, with actual savings depending on specific energy rates, existing system efficiency, and your home's energy needs.
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Modern heat pumps deliver amazing efficiency, even on the coldest days — when temperatures dropped to minus-2 degrees Celsius (28.4 degrees Fahrenheit) during the study, the systems maintained comfy indoor temperatures of 19.5 C (67.1 F) and still achieved a 3.0 efficiency rating.
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The competition, which tracked real-world performance data from homes across the United Kingdom, included period properties over a century old with solid stone construction. Two installations tied for first place with a seasonal efficiency of 4.5: a 2016 detached property in Birmingham and a 1930s chalet bungalow in Ipswich.
"The biggest winner of the Top of the SCOPs competition is the heat pump concept itself," Glyn Hudson, co-founder of Open Energy Monitor, said. "The data on our platform shows that even in period homes of 100 years old or more and those built in solid stone[,] heat pumps can be cheaper to run than gas or oil boilers."
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