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Next stop the mass market. Heat pumps on the verge of large scale deployment in Europe.

Number: No 267

Author(s) : NOWAK T.

Summary

Heat pump sales have been growing since 2013, and the last four years even showed double-digit growth. By the end of 2018, 11.8 million heat pumps were operating in Europe. Jointly they used 128 TWh of renewable energy to provide heating and reduced final energy demand by 164 TWh. Heating related CO2 emissions declined by 33 Mt/year. The technology is now everywhere – from whitegoods via industrial processes to residential and commercial heating and cooling systems as well as in district energy systems. In applications with an energy label, heat pump-based systems score highest on energy efficiency. In some implementations, like dryers and heating, the top category can only be achieved with heat pump-based systems. Heat pumps have achieved prominent recognition not only in policy but also with scientists and researchers, many of them pointing at the importance of this technology for a decarbonised heating and cooling sector. Heat pumps are covered in the renewables, energy efficiency and building efficiency legislation. Their contribution will become even more visible, once the different planning and reporting mechanisms put in place. But is this enough? Europe has between 115 and 120 million buildings in different categories. With heating heat pumps operating in approx. 5% of the building stock, fossil fuels still provide the majority of heat. To change this, the status quo needs to be reversed – instead of 75% of gas and oil using devices, we should see the deployment of 75% of heat pumps. That means between 86 and 90 million heat pumps, none of which has yet been installed. Consequently, the current annual sales of slightly above 1 million heating heat pumps must triple, ideally overnight. The paper will explore the underlying logic, look at the market developments over the last 10 years and present policy instruments that could help to make the much-needed growth a reality.

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Pages: 10 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Next stop the mass market. Heat pumps on the verge of large scale deployment in Europe.
  • Record ID : 30030069
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Figures, economy
  • Source: 13th IEA Heat Pump Conference 2021: Heat Pumps – Mission for the Green World. Conference proceedings [full papers]
  • Publication date: 2021/08/31

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