A heat pump changes annual consumption, operating hours and often peak electricity demand. That’s why it’s not enough to design your solar PV system based on your home’s previous bills.
First, the building’s heating requirements and the selected heat pump’s expected electricity consumption are estimated. The stated thermal output, for example 10 kW, does not mean the device continuously consumes 10 kW of electrical power. Consumption varies depending on efficiency and operating conditions.
Next, we consider your home’s other electricity consumption, winter generation, heating schedule and any supplementary electric resistance heaters together. Peak heating demand often coincides with a period of lower solar generation, so the annual total alone does not show the full benefit.
A battery can shift energy within the day, but it cannot store the summer surplus for winter. At Solar Home, we include the new consumption in the assessment without assuming that heating will be fully covered.
Also read: heat pumps and solar PV.