Heat pumps are an efficient and cost-effective solution for the generation of heat. They take up thermal energy from a low-temperature heat source and supply thermal energy at higher temperature to a heat sink. The use of a heat source (e.g. waste heat from industries or ambient heat from sea, lake, rivers or geothermal sources) enables heat pumps to generate much more heat with a certain amount of electricity, than a simple direct conversion of electric power to heat could do.

During the next years, heat supply will be electrified and decarbonized step by step, due to the gradual replacement of fossil-fired heat supply by natural gas, coal and oil. As the el ...