The first Country Report presentation focused on the development of heat pumps in Japan. The Member Country Report of Japan included a market overview and the latest policies towards 2050 Net-Zero. As one of the key technologies to decarbonization, the government is promoting HPs by setting quantitative targets for industrial HPs (IHP) and commercial and residential Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH). While the Air Conditioner (AC) market is stable with a slight increase in residential room ACs, deployment of industrial HPs and HPWHs need to be accelerated to achieve these targets. Cleaner electricity mix, including nuclear power, is the challenge on the supply side, whereas energy efficiency policies like the “Top Runner Program” and awards by ministries have been and will be improving the efficiency of HP systems on the demand side. Along with a subsidy dedicated to IHPs and commercial HPWHs, some subsidies for energy conservation and NZEB projects are also applicable to HPs. R&Ds such as Low GWP refrigerants and high-temperature HPs are being carried out both nationally and internationally.
Italy was the following country to present its report, Italy has the largest natural gas distribution network in the EU, and it ranks 3rd in total yearly consumption. 81% of the installed heating capacity uses natural gas as an energy carrier resulting in 62% of the final energy consumption for heating in residential. Despite the incumbent situation, Italy is ” a good place to be” for heat pumps because:
- heating with electric heat pumps costs the same compared to a natural gas boiler
- it is the second market for heat pumps in the EU after France
- a sophisticated and wide range of incentives is in place, and it will last till 2024
- a large base of qualified installers (F-Gas and RES certified) are active
The electricity grid will benefit from a massive deployment of heat pumps. The next generation will interoperate with the grid aiming to contribute to keeping the most effective “demand-response” dialogue. According to their member country report, “bivalent heat pumps” could represent an additional effective solution to achieve the same result in cold climates.
Canada was the last member country to give its report, the importance of HPs in the electrification of heating, particularly in the context of grid decarbonization, was highlighted in their presentation. It was acknowledged that there is no single technology solution that can fulfill the targets due to Canada’s diverse climate and utility rate structure; consequently, there is a substantial need to work in numerous areas. The delegate emphasized how the following identified gaps/needs should be addressed to speed the implementation and adoption of heat pumps.
Technical Gaps
- Need for more affordable systems
- Need for cold climate solutions and for existing buildings
- Need for suitable solutions to meet the phase-down of HFC refrigerants
Market Gaps
- Need for reliable tools for system design
- Need to increase confidence in emerging systems
Policy Gaps
- Need for updated codes and performance standards
An outline of research initiatives such as Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) and Ground Source Thermosiphon, Grid Optimized HPs, Thermally Driven HPs, High-Temperature HPs, and Dissemination Activities have also been identified and prioritized.
At the following links you can find the country reports: