Hi again, Stuart.
Easy-peasy. If you look at Table 2-1 on p10 of the Data Book you will see that the same compressor is installed in the 8kW unit as in the 12/14kW units (even though the evaporator is slightly smaller). I’m guessing that 90% of the kit in the Outdoor Unit is too (I haven’t actually looked - my OU is on an elevated platform to prevent cold air recirculation and I have no head for heights). I’ve often measured over 10kW from my 8kW nameplate HTQ. Also, your compressor inverter output frequency is not constrained to 50Hz (the basis of the Data Book capacity table). I’ve measured up to 60Hz output (and scroll compressor duties theoretically vary linearly with speed per affinity laws for positive displacement machines, so 8kW x 60/50 gives a fairly consistent 9.6kW).
You can do an 80/20 for about fifty quid. Have a quick read of Monitoring Your Samsung ASHP Controller. I can sit at my laptop and watch what’s going on around my Outdoor Unit (as well as water circulation/DHW data), live on the screen and/or recorded as an Excel spreadsheet for later study. (The advantage of the spreadsheet is that you can use Excel’s powerful graphical and regression capabilities, if you want to dig a little deeper and know a bit about sums). Installation is easy (I know nothing of data transmission techniques - I just followed a step-by-step email from my son-in-law, who does).
Edit: I should have added that I can also inspect/update all the controller factory settings (“FSVs”) from my laptop using the same monitor software - another little bonus…
It’s buried in the Service Mode settings (up+down then 0202), under Self-Test Mode/Self-Test Mode Display. Unfortunately it’s only given to the nearest integer degC (no decimal) so not really accurate enough with a single reading (before I installed the above monitor - which does give the first place decimal for LWT/RWT - I would average the remote display readings over a few minutes). The water flow reading (lpm) is given under Indoor Zone Option/Indoor Zone Status Information. You need to convert to kg/s (via density) to do the CoP calculation, of course.
When I had my HTQ installed, I did upsize a couple of living room radiators but all the rest do a good job of keeping the house warm, without modification.
You may actually have a better HP than you realise - you should congratulate yourself for choosing an above average one!