Why Solar + Heat Pump Is More Efficient
Air source heat pumps have a coefficient of performance (COP) of 3–4, meaning 1kW of electricity produces 3–4kW of heat. When that 1kW comes from free solar generation, your heating cost approaches zero during sunny days. A well-designed system in Fife can provide 60–70% of annual heating demand from solar electricity.
System Sizing for Heat Pump + Solar in Fife
A typical Fife 3-bed semi with an 8kW heat pump requires approximately 6–8kWp of solar panels to provide meaningful daytime heating offset. Battery capacity should be 13.5–19kWh to store surplus solar for morning heating cycles. This is larger than solar-only systems because heat pumps draw more power than standard household appliances.