Heating output
Heating output (often also called thermal output) is a physical quantity that indicates the amount of heat that can be produced or transferred by a heating device, such as a heater, heat pump, boiler or electric heater. This quantity is measured in units of energy per unit of time, most often in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). Heating performance is an important parameter in the design, installation and operation of heating systems and determines how much thermal energy the given system can supply to the heated premises.
The definition of heating power is as follows:
Heating output (thermal output): The amount of heat that is produced or transferred by a heating device per unit of time.
In practice, the power of heating equipment is often given in kilowatts (kW). For example, a 2 kW electric heater is capable of delivering 2 kilowatts of heat per hour. A gas boiler with an output of 20 kW can supply 20 kilowatts of heat per hour.
Calculation of heating power may depend on the type of heating equipment and its technical parameters. For some devices, such as electric heaters, the performance is directly stated in the technical specifications. For other devices, such as heat pumps or gas boilers, the output can be calculated based on parameters such as inlet water temperature, outlet water temperature and the input of the device.
The performance of the heating device is a critical factor in the dimensioning of the heating system, as it affects its ability to maintain the desired temperature in the rooms and the efficiency of the entire system. Therefore, it is important to know the performance of the device and correctly dimension it according to the needs of a specific application.