Many heat pump experts from all over the world gathered online to discuss future new international collaboration projects on heat pumping technologies at the HPT TCP National Experts’ Meeting hosted by the Heat Pump Centre. More than 127 people from 27 countries registered for the meeting.
The annual meeting took place on October 27, 2026, and brought together national experts, researchers, manufacturers, utilities and policymakers from the network of the IEA Technology Collaboration Programme on Heat Pumping Technologies (HPT TCP) and beyond. This year’s registrations came from Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania and South America, with the largest groups from Italy, Canada, the United States and Germany. 70 participants joined the three-hour session and took part in the discussions.
The meeting was hosted by Caroline Haglund Stignor and Metkel Yebiyo of the Heat Pump Centre at RISE, supported by Monica Axell, Mia Westh, Elin Svensson and Markus Lindahl. Its aim was to exchange knowledge, identify emerging priorities and generate ideas for future projects in line with the HPT TCP Strategic Work Plan 2023-2028.
Six project ideas and proposals in the pipeline
The first half of the meeting featured six ideas and proposals for new HPT TCP projects, each followed by questions from the audience. All are open to more participants.
Heat Pumps in Action (follow-up on Project 62). Kyra Sophie Rimrodt of Heatpumpswatch, Germany, presented a project on operating heat pumps in multi-family residential buildings. Building on HPT Annex 50 and HPT Project 62, it moves the question from “Can it work?” to “How can it scale?”, covering cooling, costs, new refrigerants and safety, monitoring, and an expanded case study database. The planned start is December 2026 or January 2027. [Click here to access the presentation]
Heat pumps for hydrogen and carbon capture. Veronika Wilk of AIT, Austria, presented this project which aims to investigate heat integration with heat pumps in hydrogen and carbon capture processes and infrastructure to enhance energy efficiency. The three-year project, planned to start soon, involves partners from Austria and Denmark so far. [Click here to access the presentation]
CliCo-Nat: Climate-friendly comfort cooling with natural refrigerants. Serena Danesi of ZHAW, Switzerland, outlined how heating-oriented buildings and heat pump systems can deliver comfort cooling with propane, CO2 and ammonia as heat waves become more frequent. The 36-month project, planned to start in April 2027, will produce an international technology map and design and retrofit guidance. Partners in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the USA have confirmed interest until now. [Click here to access the presentation]
Energetic optimisation of multi-use waste energy heat pumps. Anne Hartmann of ITG Dresden, Germany, proposed work on exhaust air and waste water heat pumps that provide heating, cooling and domestic hot water. Tasks include standardised measurement conditions and model predictive control strategies. The three-year project is planned to start around the turn of 2026/2027. [Click here to access the presentation]
Advancing heat pump circularity (follow-up on HPT Project 65). Esben Vendelbo Foged of the Danish Technological Institute presented a project asking “Where is the money in circularity?”. Focusing on heat pumps up to 70 kW, it will explore circular business models, refrigerant management, reverse logistics and second-hand markets for heat pumps. [Click here to access the presentation]
Safe use of refrigerants in heat pumping technologies (follow-up on Project 64). Thore Oltersdorf and Timo Methler of Fraunhofer ISE, Germany, proposed a public, versioned catalogue of risk assessment inputs, such as leak rates and ignition sources, to make risk assessments comparable across countries. Seven countries have signaled interest, and a mid-2027 start is planned. [Click here to access the presentation]
Workshop on research gaps
After a short introduction to how projects are started and joined within HPT TCP, participants split into breakout groups. Each group covered one of the four RDD&D priority areas of the Strategic Work Plan: system integration; robust, sustainable and affordable value chains; extending operating range and applications; refrigerants and new technologies.
Using a shared online whiteboard, the groups identified research gaps, possibilities and challenges that could be explored in future HPT TCP collaboration projects. Each group then reported its key points back to the main room.
Next steps
Several of the proposals will be presented to the HPT TCP Executive Committee at its autumn meeting in Pisa, Italy, on 17-19 November 2026, where decisions on new projects are taken. Proponents encouraged participants to contact their national ExCo delegate to express support and interest in joining.
Experts from HPT TCP member countries can join a project with approval from their country’s delegate, while organisations from non-member countries could take part as limited sponsors. Anyone interested in a proposal is welcome to contact the presenters or the Heat Pump Centre.
“We are grateful to everyone who took part and contributed so actively. The ideas presented and discussed today will help shape the next generation of international heat pump collaboration,” said the hosts, Caroline Haglund Stignor and Metkel Yebiyo.
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