European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) secretary-general Thomas Nowak has called for “higher ambition” to increase heat pump investment in line with energy transition targets. 

According to the EHPA, heat pump sales in Europe increased by 39% in 2022 when compared with 2021. Three million were sold in the continent over the past year. 

The EHPA predicts that by 2030, an additional 43 million heat pumps will be sold in continental Europe. 

In advance of the publication of the EHPA 2023 European Market Report, the EHPA addressed audiences on Monday. Meredith Annex, head of clean power at Bloomberg NEF, said that “electrified heat is an area where we need to see investments quintuple in line with the energy transition”. 

“The growth story really is a story of the European and American markets […] Europe has just within the last couple of years overtaken the US market,” she added.  

France, Italy and Germany currently represent 47% of the heat pump market in Europe. Around 60% of heat pump manufacturing currently takes place in Europe.

“Renewables in heating is not moving nearly as fast enough as is necessary,” said Nowak. “The ambition level must be much higher.” 

Nowak added that the body’s report will be published “within the next few weeks” following some final data collection. The report will compile data gathered from national heat pump associations in 21 countries.  

The EHPA’s Heat Pump Accelerator 

The EHPA has developed a Heat Pump Accelerator in line with the European Commission’s goal to install 60 million heat pumps under the RePower EU policy. The action plan was delivered to EU Commissioner Kadri Simson on 6 June and outlines solutions to overcoming barriers in the heat pump industry.  

“Anything you can do to encourage a stable policy environment encourages investment,” added Annex. 

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), heat pumps currently account for around 10% of heating in buildings globally but will need to reach 20% by 2030 in order to meet net-zero targets. 

“We need to roll up our sleeves, we really need to put all our efforts together, including in the political sphere and in industry,” said Nowak. “The decade of heat pumps is in full swing – the Heat Pump Accelerator is pushing that even further”.