The Future of Heat Pumps Report

The report demonstrates that large heat pumps combined with heating and cooling networks offer a compelling solution to phase-out fossil gas in heating and protect European consumers from the current energy crisis. Today they represent around 2.5 GWth of installed capacity in district heating systems, with many projects and investment decisions underway.

 "Individual heat pumps may not be the preferred heating option in buildings in certain settings, such as in densely populated urban areas or in industry, due to technical, economic or other constraints. In these cases, or to exploit existing heat sources more efficiently, district heating can be a viable solution." The Future of Heat Pumps, IEA report.

Large heat pumps combined with district heating open access to new clean heat sources (renewable and circular) that can supply affordable and sustainable replacement to gas-based heating in urban areas – where 70% of the EU population lives. Additionally, large heat pumps reduce the average electricity demand for heating and cooling, freeing up capacity for the electrification of other sectors and mitigating seasonal peak loads.

"The IEA report demonstrates that large heat pumps combined with heating and cooling networks offer a compelling solution to phase-out fossil gas in heating and protect European consumers from the current energy crisis. They support the deployment of wind and solar and accelerate the uptake of local, renewable, and clean heat sources such as geothermal, solar thermal, and recovered heat from urban, tertiary and public infrastructure. Our industry is fully mobilised to deploy these solutions, provided that the right local, national, and European frameworks are in place"  (Aurelie Beauvais, Managing Director)