A large fraction of the total energy consumed annually in the United States is directed towardsresidential heating and cooling. In order to help alleviate our present energy crisis informationis needed concerning the efficiency and energy consumption of residential heating andair conditioning systems in the field and in the laboratory under simulated use conditions.

The present investigation was conducted in order to determine the performance of a heat pumpover a broad range of operating conditions, including those which simulate actual use and tosupplement the results of an earlier field study.