Industrial Heat Pumps & Electrified Thermal Systems worked example

Defrost Energy Cost at 110% defrost operating scope: a worked example

This scenario runs the defrost energy cost calculation on the strong side: 110% defrost operating scope, with every other input held at its documented default. Use it when energy or maintenance teams are reviewing cold-climate air-source heat pumps, outdoor process hot water skids, or frost-prone heat recovery equipment.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Defrost electricity use: 18,000 kWh (unchanged)
  • Electricity cost: 0.11 $ / kWh (unchanged)
  • Defrost operating scope: 110 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 100)
  • Fixed defrost service cost: 1,200 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable defrost energy cost = defrost electricity use × electricity cost × defrost operating scope) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3,378 $ for total defrost energy cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.19 $ / kWh for electricity cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2,178 $ for variable defrost energy cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,200 $ for fixed defrost service cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where defrost operating scope sits at 100% and the headline result is 3,180 $, this scenario comes in 6.23% above the baseline at 3,378 $.
  • Use it when evaluating demand-defrost controls, sizing the parasitic load in a seasonal efficiency model, or budgeting the running cost of an air-source industrial heat pump. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Total defrost energy cost: 3,378 $ (headline result)
  • Electricity cost: 0.19 $ / kWh
  • Variable defrost energy cost: 2,178 $
  • Fixed defrost service cost: 1,200 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Defrost Energy Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.