Foreword: Heat pumps in multi-family buildings
In several countries, heat pumping technologies is the primary choice for heating and cooling in new houses. At least in Europe, and for single-family houses. Given their potential for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, it is positive if heat pumps would become common also in multi-family buildings in the growing cities around the globe.
But heat pumps in multi-family buildings could be difficult to achieve. Sometimes the barrier comes in form of technological challenges that are difficult to work around. Also, the ownership structure of a building could be a barrier. For example, when each flat is owned separately, decisions are also made separately. There is also the challenge of varying heat characteristics. The standard of the building as well as outdoors climate influence both the ratio between hot water and heat demand, and the temperature of the heating system.
There are activities going on to increase the amount of heat pump implementations in multi-family buildings. The work carried out in HPT Annex 50 give good examples of this.
Marek Miara
Annex 50 Operating Agent
Business Developer Heat Pumps at Fraunhofer ISE, Germany
This text was shortened by the HPC team