HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) is to heat pumps in heating mode what SEER is to cooling. It’s total heating BTUs divided by total watt-hours of electricity over a typical heating season. Higher HSPF = lower winter electric bills.
Federal minimum HSPF2 for new heat pumps is 7.5. Cold-climate heat pumps appropriate for Colorado typically rate 9.0-10.0 HSPF2. HSPF was updated to HSPF2 in 2023; a unit’s HSPF2 number is roughly 85% of its old HSPF rating, so don’t compare apples to oranges.
HSPF in Colorado terms
HSPF is a seasonal average — it doesn’t tell you how a heat pump performs at the coldest hours. For Colorado, also look at the unit’s NEEP certification and its capacity rating at 5°F and 17°F. Those numbers matter more than the bulk HSPF for mountain installs.
Related: SEER, Cold-Climate Heat Pump, COP. See also: heat pump installation.
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Right Way Mechanical is a family-owned HVAC contractor serving Wheat Ridge, Arvada, west Denver, and the Colorado foothills.