Foto © Thomas Fleckl/ AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Ambitious climate, energy and environmental goals require the conversion into an efficient and renewable energy system with low CO2 emissions. Digitalisation is one of the important factors in the transformation of the energy systems. Intelligent, digital solutions are increasingly in demand in order to efficiently use various flexibility options such as power-based heat generation, the use of storage facilities or e-mobility as well as to safely control the networks. Heat pumps will play an important role in the energy system of the future. They are a versatile technology for the provision of space and process heat, for water heating and for cooling buildings and processes. As digitalization progresses they increasingly become connected devices that participate in the Internet of Things. They can be designed to intelligently meet demand, enabling real-time energy efficiency, flexible use of electricity, optimized load profiles and an optimized compromise in terms of comfort and operating costs. According to an IEA study, digitization can reduce energy consumption in buildings by 10% by 2040. In contrast to the building sector, industrial companies have long been using digital technologies to optimize process controls and production figures. In addition to the classic application fields of logistics, industrial IoT platforms are increasingly being used for online monitoring of production facilities and cross-location energy management. The presentation gives an overview on the work of IEA HPT Annex 56 project that aims to survey the opportunities and challenges of IoT-enabled heat pumps for household, commercial and industrial applications.