Energy crisis brings opportunities for the development of the European heat pump market

“As a technology that can reduce the pressure of global warming, heat pump systems have become popular all over the world in recent years,” Martin Forsén, president of the Swedish Heat Pump Association, told reporters at the recent International Forum on Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection. “The application of heat pump systems is not limited to air conditioning. In many countries in the European Union, heat pump systems have begun to replace gas and oil-fired boilers, reducing the use of fossil fuels and becoming one of the most effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions.”

It is understood that in recent years, the application of heat pump hot water units in Austria, Finland, Germany, France and other major European countries is very rapid. In 2009, the total sales volume of heat pump systems was 520,000 units, an increase of 110% year-on-year in 2005. The dominant application is wind/water and wind/wind cooling/heating systems.

Martin said that the strongest market development is France, Sweden, Germany and Norway. The Swedish domestic market has also grown rapidly. In 2009, sales reached 116.9 thousand units. “In Sweden, people are paying more and more attention to the environment, which has become a strong driving force for the heat pump market. In recent years, Swedish companies and residents are keen on a low-carbon green life and have also promoted the sales of heat pump products. Now Nearly 60% of every 1,000 inhabitants use heat pump products," Martin said.

"The Swedish government promises that by 2020, Sweden will be the first country in the world that does not use oil, and energy supply will mainly depend on renewable energy. For this reason, the government has invested a large sum of money in the research of renewable energy." Martin said, “The government will give a bonus if geothermal heat pump systems are used to replace oil-fired boilers and electric heating systems by 2010. And rising energy prices are now prompting people to switch to cheaper alternatives such as heat. Water heat pump products."

It is reported that the EU and some European countries have already issued regulations and incentives for promoting the use of heat pump products. For example, in January 2003, the European Union issued the Building Energy Efficiency Directive (EPBD) to promote its member states to improve building energy efficiency while considering outdoor climate and local conditions, as well as indoor climate requirements and cost efficiency. “At present, this directive is applied to the heads and operators of all residential and commercial buildings in Europe, and has played a key role in changing the energy efficiency of buildings. In addition, in terms of refrigerants, Europe also has regulations on the content of fluorinated greenhouse gases. (842/2006) and European Regulations on Ozone Depleting Substances (EC 1005/2009) to promote the popularity of heat pump products,” said Martin.

“At present, product quality and installation by installers have become major market obstacles for the promotion of heat pump products. For this reason, industry-led associations will accelerate the elimination of bad market perceptions by posting product quality marks and incorporating heat pump knowledge into the installer’s official training courses. The marketization of products," said Martin.