Final answer:
The correct way to size a heat pump is to perform both heating and cooling load calculations and select the heat pump size by using the addition of the two loads.
Therefore, the correct answer is: option A): Adding the heating load and cooling loads.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a heat pump if the heating load is greater than the cooling load, use the heating load to size the system, and vice versa. This approach ensures that the heat pump has the capacity to handle the demand of the season with the greater load, whether it's for heating in colder months or cooling in warmer months. It is important not to add the two loads together or subtract the smaller load from the larger one.
A heat pump moves thermal energy from a cooler space to a warmer space using the refrigeration cycle, being able to both heat and cool a space. Ideal heat pumps have high coefficients of performance (COP), indicating greater efficiency.
The COP of a heat pump is the ratio of the heat transfer Qh by the heat pumps to the work W put into them, with typical real-world values ranging from 2 to 4. This means the heat transfer from the heat pumps is 2 to 4 times as great as the work supplied to them, although economic feasibility may vary based on energy costs and climate conditions.