Heat pumps use heat from the ground, the air, or groundwater for heating and hot water production. They therefore offer an environmentally friendly alternative to oil or gas heating systems, both for new construction and existing buildings.

How a refrigerator works: removing heat from the environment

Heat pumps extract heat from the air, ground, or water (groundwater, rivers, wastewater) using heat exchangers. The heat is then concentrated within the unit and raised to a temperature suitable for heating domestic hot water or heating systems.

It works on the same principle as a refrigerator, but in reverse: instead of moving heat from a room to the outside, a heat pump transfers heat from the outside to the inside. Today, heat pumps are standard in new construction, but many existing buildings can also be retrofitted without major renovations. Underfloor heating is not required; often, existing radiators can be reused, or larger radiators can be installed. Generally speaking, a heat pump can operate efficiently without a complete building renovation. However, the better the building is insulated, the less electricity the heat pump consumes (this applies to all heating systems, even those using oil or gas).

Multiplier effect: 1 becomes 3

A heat pump uses heat from the environment—a renewable energy source—and also requires electricity to operate. On an annual average, 1 unit of primary energy (electricity) fed into a heat pump typically generates 3 to 4 units of heat. By comparison, a fossil fuel heating system using oil or gas produces about 0.75 units of heat for every unit of primary energy consumed. In other words, a heat pump generates three to four times more heat than the electrical energy it consumes.

For many homeowners, it can be beneficial to combine a heat pump with a rooftop solar panel system. In the spring, summer, and fall, it provides green electricity for hot water and, when the air is cooler, for heating. This means the electricity needed to run the heat pump does not have to be purchased.