Digital Services for Heat Pumps

The project is open for new participants

Background

Ambitious climate, energy and environmental goals require the transformation of the energy system into an efficient and renewable system with low CO₂ emissions. Digitalisation is one of the key factors for this transformation.

Heat pumps will play an important role in the energy system of the future. The HPT Annex 56 of digitalisation and IoT had a broad scope looking at different aspects of digitalization and created a knowledge base on connected heat pumps. It summarized the most important aspects of digitalisation for heat pumps, the state of digitalisation in the participating countries and gives an overview on interfaces and communication, data analysis and business models and services.¹

The project 67 “Digital services for heat pumps” is the follow up project of Annex 56 in the field of digitalisation. Project 67 focuses strongly on the heat pump specific digital services, in contrast to Annex 56, where connectivity, data exchange and interaction with other elements of the energy system was important.

Digitalization is one of IEA’s decarbonization enablers that is tracked continuously to show the progress towards the 2050 targets.² Digital technologies hold the potential to accelerate the energy transition and enable integration of renewable, efficiency increase and CO₂ emission reduction. The current status of the tracking shows that more efforts are needed. This project is a contribution to this target.

Objective

Component manufacturers mentioned in the IoT Annex that they offer different interfaces and protocols, which are chosen based on the requirements of the higher level component or system. For the orchestration, the system is decisive, e.g. the building management system interacting with the district heating grid or the pool of heat pumps providing flexibility for the power grid.

The aim of Project 67 is therefore not the orchestration of the higher level systems, but it focuses on the heat pump and its components. It should answer the question how to make use of digital services for heat pumps in various fields of action during its life cycle, in particular:

• Product design as a first step of the heat pump production, and testing to maintain high quality standards
• Successful integration to reach high efficiency and ensure operator satisfaction
• Digitalisation (models, controller) for the optimal operation of heat pumps with different optimization goals (e.g., lowest CAPEX, lowest CO2 emissions, flexibility etc.), and efficient maintenance

Activities

Task 1: Design of the knowledge base

• Design of the knowledge base on the use of digital methods for heat pumps, including examples from research projects and methods/approaches already implemented
• Identification and definition of the relevant information for the knowledge base on examples of digital services
• Preparation of the presentation concept for the target audience, e.g., fact sheets
• Design of the survey in Task 2, creation of an adequate questionnaire
• Milestone 1: Questionnaire ready for the survey in Task 2

Task 2: Collection of information

• Gathering information (about digital methods for heat pumps, including examples from research projects and methods/approaches already implemented) by literature review, expert interviews, market research, and contributions fromnational research projects by using the questionnaire from Task 1.
• Milestone 2: Completed questionnaires available for synthesis in Task 3

Task 3: Synthesis of information

• Evaluation of the gathered information and derivation of findings (e.g., open development/research questions)
• Completing the the knowledge base
• Preparation of the know-how transfer to the target audience
• Milestone 3: Knowledge base (on the use of digital methods for heat pumps, including examples from research projects and methods/approaches already implemented) completed

Task 4: Dissemination, communication, and reporting

• Dissemination and communication activities for the target groups including, e.g., the organisation of a concluding webinar,
• Collaborations with other related projects in other TCPs,
• Creation of a Project website as a knowledge base on the use of digital methods for heat pumps, including examples from research projects and methods/approaches already implemented,
• Reporting and project management

Target audience and Benefits

• Heat pump value chain, i.e., manufacturers, planners and installers, operators: knowledge about digital methods for optimised design and production of (modular) heat pumps; knowledge about resp. tools for optimized integration, maintenance, and operation to ensure maximum service life of heat pumps & components thereof and lowest possible operating costs and useability (acceptance) for heat pump operators.
• Associations (national HP associations, EHPA): targeted information for their members
• Research community: knowledge about latest scientific/technical developments in the participating countries; identification of possible research gaps.

Time schedule

The project started in May 2025 and will end with April 2028

Project Manager

Bernd WINDHOLZ
Thematic Coordinator “Efficient Buildings and HVAC Technologies”
AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
bernd.windholz@ait.ac.at

Participants

Austria, Belgium, Sweden.