Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Figure 11.9
Sales of heat pumps for heating in Germany.
11.7 Outlook and Development Potential
The environmental balance sheet of heat pumps is improving continuously as a
result of the steady increase in the share of renewable energies used to generate
electricity. If in the medium term HFC-free alternatives start replacing refrigerants
that contain HFC, which cause climate problems, from the ecological point of view
the heat pump will develop into a very interesting alternative to conventional heating
systems.
As renewable heating systems, such as solar thermal systems and biomass heating
(see Chapter 12), can only cover a certain proportion of the heat requirement in
many countries, the heat pump is an important component for carbon-free heat
supply in the long term. Buffer storage can also be used to change the operating
times of heat pumps. This would enable heat pumps to be partially centrally control-
led, thus helping to reduce service peaks in the electricity network. With a high
availability of wind power, for example, heat pumps would fi ll heat storage tanks
and then draw the heat again at times when power supplies are low. These possibili-
ties indicate that a further expansion of the heat pump market can be expected.
