EHPA debate on Heat Pumps

On the 9th April 2019, the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), in collaboration with SME Europe and DryFiciency, organised a breakfast debate on tackling the subject of “Industrial and Commercial Heat Pumps: the unpolished gem in Europe’s energy transition necklace”. The event was hosted by MEP Dr. Paul Rübig of the EPP Group.
Policymakers, MEP Dr. Paul Rübig (AT/EPP) and MEP Seán Kelly (IE/EPP), discussed with the representatives of industry, civil society and the research sector about the next policy actions needed to seize the opportunities that high capacity and high-temperature heat pumps can provide to production processes in many applications. The following technology can foster the transition of energy-intensive industries and businesses are playing a leading role to enable the large deployment of heat pumps on an industrial and commercial level.
Dr. Paul Rübig, Member of the European People Party’s opened the breakfast debate by recalling the fact that heating and cooling of buildings is on top of the list of the most significant contributors for CO2 emissions. Therefore, Policymakers should focus on improving the energy efficiency of households and buildings. He then continued by stating that “the best energy is the one that is not consumed. Therefore, technologies should be promoted that further increase the energy efficiency of industry and households.”
Eric Delforge, Chair of the EHPA’s Industrial and Commercial Heat Pump working group, inspired the participants by presenting the potential of large heat pump applications in a sustainable and smart energy system. He then led the audience through the demonstration that waste-less heating and cooling in the production process is possible. The installation of such closed and renewable system is possible thanks to the large heat pumps appliances. Now, “we need bold policymakers” to push energy efficiency in the energy-intensive industries, in the same way that the EU pushed for energy efficiency of fridges and lightbulbs back in time.
Individual businesses are setting the example for bigger industries by integrating large heat pumps appliances in their production processes and their buildings.
Naturally, participants agreed on the need for a proper recognition of heat pump technology to deploy it where possible in the industrial and commercial sector, thus using the full potential of waste heat to the maximum extent and include renewable technologies into industrial heating and cooling processes. The economic advantage of using heat pumps in businesses is a reality as in the case of Colruyt and in the Dairy industry.
In this view, to better disseminate the potentialities of the industrial and commercial heat pumps, EHPA is preparing a second edition of the ‘’Large scale heat pump in Europe’’ (download the previous version), a brochure presenting examples of realized and successful projects involving large heat pumps. The publication will be presented the 15-16 May 2019, during the Heat Pump Forum in Brussels.
Further details and presentations can be found here