The Heat-Pump Sophab is a small curved canopy that shields your outdoor heat-pump or A/C unit from wind, snow and ice — so it frosts up less and runs steadier all winter. Build it yourself from a single sheet of plywood.
A heat pump moves a huge amount of air — far more than any small canopy could warm while it runs. So the real prize isn't solar heat; it's shelter. Keeping wind, snow and ice off the coil is what makes the difference over a winter.
Blocks wind, drifting snow and freezing rain off the coil and fan, so the unit ices up less and spends less time in defrost — where it burns energy instead of heating.
On clear winter days the sheltered air warms between cycles, helping the unit thaw — an honest bonus, not the main event. A dark magnetic panel can nudge it further.
Open in summer; louvered, well-vented panels for winter. It shelters the unit — it never boxes it in or chokes the airflow it needs to run.
Rip a single 4×8 sheet into 3″ strips, bend them into the arch, and skin it with clear corrugated polycarbonate. No fancy tools, no curved cutting.
Three sizes for units up to ~48″ wide, in a ground-standing version (base frame + deck blocks) or a wall-mounted lean-to for bracket-hung mini-splits — its glazing curves down to near the ground. Roughly $250–600 in materials.
In summer the sun works against a unit that's trying to shed heat. The clear roof stays on, but you take the side panels off to open the ends — and can hang a light shade tarp inside to keep direct sun off the unit.
In winter, add the side panels — a mesh or shade-cloth tarp or louvres, anything that stops snow and wind while still letting air through (never a sealed tarp). Optional: a dark, sun-facing absorber for a little extra thaw — including a reversible magnetic option instead of painting your unit.
Twelve pages: the three sizes, the one-sheet cut list and cutting layout, ground & wall assembly, summer/winter setup, and the airflow rules that keep your unit safe. Pop in your email — we'll send it, and you can download it right away.
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The free plan builds a light, non-structural DIY garden canopy — it is not an engineered or stamped construction document. Always keep your heat-pump manufacturer's clearance and airflow requirements, and check local codes.