Glossary

Terms for Architecture, Green Building & Energy

This glossary includes more than 300 solar terms, as well as hundreds of additional sustainable design and construction terms.

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COP (Coefficient Of Performance)

Definition: A measurement of the instantaneous efficiency of heating or cooling equipment. It represents the steady-state rate of energy output of the equipment divided by the steady-state rate of energy input to the equipment, expressed in consistent units (i.e. watts-out per watts-in or Btu/h-out per Btu/h-in). Thus, the resultant value of COP is unit less. Most vapor-compression heating and cooling equipment has COPs greater than unity. That means it delivers more heat energy than it consumes.