Estimate the annual useful heating output of a geothermal heat pump system from rated capacity, equivalent full-load hours, seasonal coefficient of performance, and availability. The calculator separates delivered heat from estimated electricity input and source heat, helping you check an energy model or compare system operating assumptions.
Annual useful output is the heat delivered to the building, not the electrical energy consumed. Equivalent full-load hours already summarize the seasonal load profile, so do not also multiply by a separate load factor.
Actual output depends on weather, controls, distribution losses, defrost operation, ground or source temperatures, and equipment performance.
A 12 kW system operating for 2,200 equivalent full-load hours at 98% availability delivers 25,872 kWh of useful heat per year.
No. Useful heat output equals electricity input multiplied by seasonal COP.
They convert varying part-load operation into the hours the unit would run at rated capacity.
It reduces theoretical output for maintenance, outages, and other unavailable time.
Use it only if capacity, full-load hours, and efficiency all describe the same cooling season.
Use a seasonal value that reflects temperatures and part-load operation for a more realistic annual estimate.
| Measure | Unit | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | kW thermal | Rated useful heat rate |
| Output | kWh thermal/year | Useful heat delivered |
| Electricity | kWh electric/year | Output divided by COP |
| Source heat | kWh thermal/year | Output less electricity |