Description

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As of 2022, in Switzerland, 18.5 % of residential building are being heated via a heat pump. However, when new residential buildings are concerned, the value is much higher: 74.3 % of residential buildings built between 2016 and 2022 are using heat pump for their heating system. Therefore, this technology does not have to be pushed forward as it is currently replacing other types of heating systems.

Current research

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There as still, however, areas where research is needed in the residential heat pump, the main ones being:

• reducing noise while maintaining efficiency,
• use of natural refrigerants such as hydrocarbons,
• new compressors, such as turbo-compressors, with no need for lubricating oils,
• a better understanding of the installation and operating errors of installed heat pumps.

The noise reduction is an important factor now that heat pump are being installed everywhere, including in crowded city where noise could harm neighbour. The transition to using natural refrigerants comes from regulation which prohibits the use of refrigerant which can cause global warming or environmental impact if released into the atmosphere. Having heat pump running without oil can improve the general efficiency of a heat pump. Finally, the installation and control of the heat pump impact more the real annual performance of it as their inherent COP. That is the reason behind the financing of the field measurement project which analyses more than twenty residential heat pumps installed in private homes throughout Switzerland. Annual reports are available online. A video presenting some of the results of this project is also available on YouTube in French here. For reasons of confidentiality, most of the research on residential heat pumps is confidential.

References

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