Briefs: Japanese experts in favour of heat pumps

According to a recent study "Heat Pumps — Long Awaited Way out of Global Warming," released by the Heat Pump and Thermal Storage Technology Centre of Japan (HPTCJ), released in October 2007, wider use of heat pump technology in Japan would result in Japan's CO2 emissions being cut by 130 million tons per year, (i.e. 10% of Japan's current total emissions) among which 100 million tons come from the residential and business sector and 30 million from industrial boilers. This represents 1.5 times the target set under the Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan and is in line with the International Energy Agency (IEA) projections, according to which 1.2 million tonnes (6% of global emissions) could be avoided if ownership of heat pumps vs. other systems reached 30% worldwide.