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Design heat loss calculation

This calculates how much heat a particular home requires to maintain a 22°C indoor temperature on the coldest day of the year. A contractor or designer should perform this calculation based on the CSA F280-M Determining the required capacity of residential space heating and cooling appliances standard.

• According to CSA standards, a geothermal heat pump system must be sized to handle 70 to 105% of the design heat loss of a home.
• Systems sized to less than 100% require an electric heater to make up the difference during the few coldest days of the year.
• A system sized to 70% costs less to purchase but has slightly higher annual energy costs, due to the auxiliary heater.
• One benefit of a system sized to 70% is that it more closely matches your home’s cooling load, providing more comfortable and efficient air conditioning during the summer.