More heat out than electricity in - impossible? Not when the fuel is water.
Here is the physics behind the numbers.
More Energy Out Than In?
At first glance, it sounds impossible. You put 6 kilowatts of electricity into a boiler and get 11.22 kilowatts of heat out. Any physicist would immediately say: that violates the First Law of Thermodynamics — you cannot create energy from nothing.
They would be right. And the Lotus Hydrogen Plasma Combi Boiler does not create energy from nothing.
So where does the extra energy come from?
Think of electricity as the locksmith. Water is the safe. The heat output is what was inside the safe all along — the chemical bond energy stored in every water molecule,
waiting to be released.
The Answer: Water is Not Empty!
Water molecules (H₂O) contain enormous amounts of stored chemical bond energy — the energy that holds hydrogen and oxygen atoms together. This energy is invisible in normal conditions because it is locked inside the molecular structure.
When the Lotus boiler converts water into hydrogen plasma at 2,500°C, it breaks these molecular bonds and releases the stored energy. The electricity going in is not the only energy source — it is the key that unlocks the energy already stored in the water.
No law of physics is broken. Energy is not created — it is released.
What is COP?
COP stands for Coefficient of Performance — a standard measurement used across the heating industry to express efficiency.
A COP of 1.0 means you get exactly as much heat energy out as electrical energy you put in — like a simple electric resistance heater. A COP of 2.0 means you get twice as much heat energy out as electrical energy in.
For example one of the Lotus Hydrogen Plasma Combi Boilers, E300, consumes 6 kW of electricity and delivers 11.22 kW of usable heat — a measured COP of approximately 1.87 under standard laboratory test conditions.
| Input (electricity) | Output (heat) | COP |
|---|---|---|
| 6.00 kW (E300) | 11.22 kW | 1.87 |
| 8.00 kW | 14.96 kW | 1.87 |
| 10.00 kW | 18.70 kW | 1.87 |
What is SCOP?
SCOP stands for Seasonal Coefficient of Performance — the same measurement but averaged across an entire heating season, including cold winter days, mild autumn days, and everything in between.
SCOP is a more honest, real-world figure than COP because it accounts for varying outdoor temperatures and usage patterns throughout the year.
The Lotus system has recorded SCOP values of 2.5 in year-round installations in Germany and Austria — meaning across a full heating season, it delivered 2.5 times more thermal energy than the electrical energy it consumed.
How Does it Compare?
| System | Typical COP/SCOP | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Electric resistance heater | 1.0 | No efficiency gain |
| Standard gas boiler | 0.85–0.92 | Burns fossil fuel |
| Air-source heat pump | 2.5–3.5 | Drops to 0 below −10°C, falls back on grid electricity |
| Ground-source heat pump | 3.0–4.5 | Stable but installation cost is 30× higher than a Lotus boiler |
| Lotus Hydrogen Plasma E300 | COP 1.87 / SCOP 2.5 | Consistent at any temperature from −50°C to +50°C |
Air-source heat pumps achieve attractive COP figures in mild climates because they move existing heat from outside air rather than generating it. However, as outdoor temperatures drop below −10°C, their efficiency collapses — and below −15°C many units stop functioning entirely and switch to emergency electric resistance heating, consuming full grid electricity with a COP of zero. In northern climates, this is not a rare edge case — it happens every winter.
Ground-source heat pumps are more stable because they draw heat from the ground, which maintains a relatively constant temperature year-round. Their COP figures are impressive — but their installation requires deep ground drilling or large horizontal pipe networks, making the total installation cost typically 30 times higher than a Lotus Hydrogen Plasma Combi Boiler. For most residential and small commercial applications, this cost is prohibitive. Before the Lotus system existed, there was simply no better alternative. Today, there is no rational reason to choose it.
The Lotus system generates heat from water chemistry and maintains consistent COP at any outdoor temperature — from −50°C to +50°C — with no infrastructure requirements beyond a standard electrical connection.
Why Doesn't It Break the Laws of Physics?
The First Law of Thermodynamics states: energy cannot be created or destroyed — only converted from one form to another.
The Lotus boiler converts two forms of input energy into heat:
The total energy output (11.22 kW) is always less than or equal to the total energy input from both sources combined. No law is violated.
What This Means in Practice
A typical European home requires approximately 10,000–15,000 kWh of heat per year for space heating and hot water.
With a Lotus boiler at SCOP 2.5, the electrical consumption to deliver that heat would be 4,000–6,000 kWh per year — roughly the same as running a household's lights and appliances.
Combined with a rooftop solar installation, this can reduce the effective heating cost to near zero.
💡 Bottom line: The Lotus E300 puts in 6 kW and delivers 11.22 kW — certified, repeatable, and fully consistent with the laws of physics. The extra energy comes from water, not magic.
A Certified Result — Not a Claim
These COP and SCOP figures are not marketing claims. They have been independently measured and verified by accredited testing institutions. The full test reports and certificates are available on our Certificates and Documents page.
This is not a theoretical model. These are measured results from real boilers, in real buildings, tested by independent laboratories.
While the wider heating industry is still debating future hydrogen-ready standards, the Lotus Hydrogen Plasma Combi Boiler has been delivering these results in the field for over a decade.
Check our products list and datasheets, more detailled information, and installation examples.
Visit Lotus-Hydrogen-Energy.com →
