Industrial heat pump COP and savings calculator
Estimate the coefficient of performance (COP) of an industrial heat pump supplying process heat, and compare its running cost with a gas boiler delivering the same heat.
Result
Annual saving versus gas boiler
Estimated COP
Heat pump electricity cost
Gas boiler fuel cost
COP needed to match gas cost
How to use this tool
- Enter the annual process heat your site uses, in MWh of heat (not the gas or electricity you buy). Your gas meter readings and boiler output can help.
- Enter the temperature the process needs the heat at, and the temperature of the source the heat pump draws from (air, water or waste heat).
- Check the efficiency-vs-ideal figure. The 55% default is a planning assumption; replace it with the manufacturer's rating for your conditions if you have one.
- Enter your electricity and gas prices per kWh and your existing boiler efficiency.
- Read the estimated COP and the annual saving. A negative saving means the heat pump costs more to run at these prices.
Assumptions
- The heat pump delivers a constant output at a constant COP across the year. Real COP changes with the source temperature, the load and the cycling pattern.
- The efficiency-vs-ideal figure is a planning assumption, not a measured value. Use manufacturer data at your operating temperatures for a bid or design.
- Gas and electricity are priced at flat unit rates. Standing charges, capacity charges, carbon costs and any levy changes are excluded.
- Heat losses in pipework and the heat exchanger are assumed to be included in the demand figure.
Technical details: what the fields mean
- Annual process heat demand
annualHeatDemandMWh - Heat the process needs per year, in MWh. One MWh is 1,000 kWh of heat delivered, not the energy you buy.
- Process supply temperature
supplyTemperatureC - The temperature the heat must reach at the point of use, in °C. It must be above the source temperature.
- Heat source temperature
sourceTemperatureC - The average temperature of the heat source, in °C. For ambient air this is the average air temperature during the operating season.
- Heat pump efficiency vs ideal
secondLawEfficiencyPercent - How close the heat pump gets to the theoretical maximum (Carnot) COP. Real machines reach a fraction of the ideal. 55% is a planning value; lower it for older or poorly matched equipment.
- Electricity price
electricityPricePerKwh - Your business electricity unit rate in £/kWh, from your contract or bill. Use the standing charge separately if you need a total.
- Gas price
gasPricePerKwh - Your business gas unit rate in £/kWh, from your contract or bill.
- Existing boiler efficiency
boilerEfficiencyPercent - The seasonal efficiency of the boiler you would otherwise run. Condensing boilers are often 85–95%, older boilers lower.
Methodology
Ideal (Carnot) COP = supply temperature (K) ÷ (supply temperature − source temperature), both in kelvin. Estimated COP = efficiency vs ideal × Carnot COP. Heat pump electricity = annual heat demand ÷ COP; gas cost = annual heat demand ÷ boiler efficiency × gas price. Break-even COP = electricity price × boiler efficiency ÷ gas price: the COP at which the two running costs are equal.
Worked example
1,000 MWh a year of process heat at 90°C from a 20°C source, 55% efficiency, electricity 20p/kWh, gas 7p/kWh, 85% boiler
Inputs: Annual process heat demand: 1000 MWh/yr, Process supply temperature: 90°C, Heat source temperature: 20°C, Heat pump efficiency vs ideal: 55%, Electricity price: £0.20/kWh, Gas price: £0.07/kWh, Existing boiler efficiency: 85%
Result: COP about 2.85. Heat pump costs about £70,094 a year against about £82,353 for gas, a saving of about £12,259 a year. The COP needed to match gas is 2.43.
Same site, but the process needs 120°C from a 5°C source, such as cold ambient air
Inputs: Annual process heat demand: 1000 MWh/yr, Process supply temperature: 120°C, Heat source temperature: 5°C, Heat pump efficiency vs ideal: 55%, Electricity price: £0.20/kWh, Gas price: £0.07/kWh, Existing boiler efficiency: 85%
Result: COP falls to about 1.88, so the heat pump costs about £106,367 a year, roughly £24,014 more than gas at these prices. Check the figure against the manufacturer's data at those temperatures before committing.
Practical guidance
- Compare the break-even COP with the manufacturer's COP at your real supply and source temperatures, not the headline figure at a mild test condition.
- Lower supply temperatures generally give higher COP, so check whether the process can run cooler before buying equipment.
- Ask a heat-pump supplier for a site-specific COP on your duty profile before making a capital decision.
Common mistakes
- Entering the gas or electricity you buy as the heat demand. The demand is the useful heat the process needs.
- Assuming a heat source warmer than the process needs. The inputs are limited to supplies of 80–150°C from sources of −20 to 50°C, so a source warmer than 50°C, or a supply below 80°C, is outside this tool.
- Using a headline COP from a mild test condition for a high-temperature process.
FAQs
What is a COP?
The coefficient of performance is the heat delivered divided by the electricity used. A COP of 3 means 3 kWh of heat for each kWh of electricity.
Why does a higher supply temperature lower the COP?
The bigger the temperature lift from source to supply, the harder the heat pump works, so each unit of electricity moves less heat.
What does the break-even COP tell me?
It is the COP at which the heat pump's electricity cost equals your gas boiler's fuel cost. If the real COP is above it, the heat pump saves money at your current prices.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
This is a planning estimate using a Carnot-based approximation and flat unit prices. It is not a substitute for manufacturer performance data, a heat-load study or an engineering design. It does not model capital cost, maintenance, grants, carbon factors or part-load behaviour.
This tool provides an indicative estimate, based on the assumptions stated above.
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