The Heat Pump Technology Panel (HP TP) of the RHC-Platform was launched in April 2015 and it is managed by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).
Heat pumps decarbonise our economies by using sustainable energy from air, water and ground. They increase energy efficiency in the residential, commercial and industrial sector, with the benefits of heat pumps going beyond saving energy, using renewable energy and reducing CO2 emissions (e.g., providing grid flexibility, connectivity, etc). They are essential components of future nearly zero energy buildings, districts, and industries, as they are amongst the most efficient devices for heating, cooling and sanitary hot water.
Heating and cooling needs and priorities in Europe are changing over time – some of these changes are already taking place today, also in the heat pump sector:
- Standardised solutions in industrial processes (e.g., the SPIRIT project, the PUSH2HEAT project);
- Combining heat pumps with state of the art thermal storage processes (e.g., the ECHO project, the BEST-Storage project);
- Integration in smart grids (through demand response);
- Increasing the potential of district heating, cogeneration and other renewable technologies (e.g., the REWARDheat project);
- Use of waste (circular) heating and cooling resources;
- The potential shift toDirect Current (e.g., the SHIFT2DC project)
The Panel has worked on the development of a strategy that will enable heat pumps to make a major contribution to the “2050 Vision for 100% renewable heating and cooling in Europe”, which outlines how the European heating and cooling sector can be fully decarbonised by 2050, the research needed to achieve this vision in the “Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Climate-Neutral Heating and Cooling in Europe “, and will continue to do so as part of the upcoming documents that look at the market and technology trends for the technology deployments.
Additional priorities of the panel include:
- Providing feedback to the relevant Work Programmes (e.g., Horizon Europe, LIFE, Interreg, Innovation Fund, Tenders, European Partnerships);
- Enabling collaboration between the diverse RHC technologies;
- Creating the opportunity for networking betwen like-minded stakeholders;
- Liaising with external stakeholders (e.g., speaking opportunities at relevant heat pump centred events) and projects (e.g., participation in Advisory Boards)
The HP TP meets on average every four months, with these meetings being coupled with the Research and Innovation Committee of the EHPA.
For more information please contact Dan Stefanica and/or Elisabetta Tillier.
