COP Calculator
Reviewed by Hamza Gujjar, Algorithm Architect & Software Developer
Last updated: July 27, 2026Why heat pump efficiency can exceed 100%
Unlike a furnace or electric resistance heater that converts fuel or electricity directly into heat, a heat pump moves existing heat from one place to another using a refrigeration cycle - this is why its output-to-input ratio can exceed 1.0, something a simple electric heater can never do.
Worked example
For a heat pump delivering 10kW of heat output while consuming 3kW of electrical input:
COP = 10 / 3 = 3.333
| System Type | Typical COP |
|---|---|
| Electric resistance heat | 1.0 (fixed) |
| Air-source heat pump | 2.0 - 4.0 |
| Ground-source (geothermal) heat pump | 3.0 - 5.0 |
COP drops as outdoor temperature falls for air-source heat pumps, since there is less ambient heat available to extract - manufacturers publish COP at specific standardized outdoor temperature test points for this reason.