Heat-Driven Heat Pumps—The Future of Domestic Heating in Europe?

Abstract

There have been many attempts to commercialize and introduce heat-driven (particularly gas-fired) heat pumps over three decades. There are now three domestic systems on the market [Robur, Vaillant and Viessmann], with others under development.

The different types are reviewed, the markets assessed, and the barriers to wider uptake are discussed. Other options for future heating systems proposed within the UK are a range of electric heat pump developments and fuel cell/micro-CHP units. Moving to an all-electric decarbonised electricity grid is shown to require a vast investment to perhaps triple the capacity of the electricity infrastructure and whilst possible in the long term cannot secure the emission reductions essential in the medium term. The case is proposed for a mixed heating solution with both gas-fired and electric heat pumps, also hybrids being used well in the 2040s. New-build houses will be almost exclusively electric and will need integration with advanced storage to supply domestic hot water. Older properties with higher heat loads will either use hybrid electric heat pump—gas boiler systems or gas-fired heat pumps. The proposed mix, whilst not being the minimal emission route, is much more affordable and a pragmatic solution to domestic heating.