How much heat does a heat pump deliver per kilowatt-hour at 5°F?
In the 5°F full-speed test, the median certified heat pump delivers 6,688 Btu of heat for each kilowatt-hour of electricity, a COP of 1.96.
What COP means
COP is the heat delivered divided by the electricity used, both in the same units. One kilowatt of electricity is 3,412 Btu/h. A heat pump with a COP of 2 delivers 6,824 Btu of heat for each kilowatt-hour. An electric resistance heater has a COP of 1, so a COP of 2 is twice the heat from the same electricity.
The 5°F test
The COP at 5°F comes from a Department of Energy laboratory test at 5°F outdoors. A variable-speed unit runs at the full speed set for that temperature. A single-stage unit has one speed, and a two-stage unit uses its high stage.
The test is optional under federal rules and required by ENERGY STAR for every certified heat pump, so almost every model here carries the figure. The methodology names the tests.
Test definitions: DOE Appendix M1, sections 3.6.1–3.6.4.
The cold-climate threshold
ENERGY STAR's cold-climate criterion needs a COP at 5°F of at least 1.75 and a 5°F capacity of at least 70% of the 47°F nominal capacity. Tests use different compressor speeds. EPA marks the cold-climate heat pumps in the certified data after a separate controls check.
Criterion: ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps, Version 6.1, section 3.B.
COP at 5°F across certified heat pumps
8,302 of the 8,420 certified models carry a COP at 5°F. Each model counts once, by the median of its own pairings. The median is 1.96 for mini-split models and 1.97 for central models. Across all models, the 10th percentile is 1.8 and the 90th percentile is 2.22.
| Type | Models | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini-split | 5,574 | 1.8 | 1.96 | 2.23 |
| Central | 2,728 | 1.8 | 1.97 | 2.2 |
| All | 8,302 | 1.8 | 1.96 | 2.22 |
Electrical input at 5°F
A unit page works out the electrical input in the 5°F test as the certified 5°F capacity ÷ (COP × 3,412), in kW. A unit certified for 18,000 Btu/h at 5°F with a COP of 2 draws 2.64 kW in that test.
Limits of the 5°F COP
- It is not HSPF2. HSPF2 is a seasonal average for DOE climate Region IV, with cycling, defrost, and modeled backup heat. See how HSPF2 differs from HSPF.
- It is not a 47°F COP. The certified data has no COP at 17°F or 47°F.
- It is not the heat delivered in a house. It is one pairing, in a laboratory, at one outdoor temperature, without backup resistance heat.
- Some certified COP figures need caution. A reported COP of zero is not an efficiency result, and this page leaves those out. See known data-quality issues.
Where to go next
Compare 12,000 Btu cold-climate heat pumps or 36,000 Btu cold-climate heat pumps, see cold-weather output across the certified data, or check a quote's pairing.