Participating Countries - Switzerland

68
Swrizerland 
National Coordinator:OST, Cordin Arpagaus, cordin.arpagaus@ost.ch  

Switzerland has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Climate and Innovation Act (KIG), approved by Swiss voters in 2023, legally requires the industrial sector to reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2040 and by 90% by 2050, relative to 1990 levels.

Industrial process heat is a key challenge, accounting for approximately 85 PJ (56%) of the industry’s annual final energy consumption of 151 PJ (average 2015–2023) [1].

Decarbonizing industrial process heat requires electrification and energy efficiency, with high-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs) recognized as a key enabling technology. Accelerating their deployment requires greater awareness of commercially available systems and demonstration projects, targeted training, standardized high-efficiency products using natural refrigerants, financial incentives, stronger CO2 pricing and fossil fuel restrictions, and continued electricity decarbonization.

Within the IEA HPT Project 68, Switzerland is represented by OST Institute for Energy Systems (IES), which also leverages the SWEET DeCarbCH initiative as a national platform for knowledge and technology transfer (KTT). Activities include participation in international expert meetings, assessment of global HTHP developments, documentation of Swiss HTHP installations, and research on market adoption, techno-economics, policy frameworks, technical optimization, and best practices to support industrial decarbonization and Swiss climate targets.

Institute for Energy Systems (IES) at OST

The Institute for Energy Systems (IES) at OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences is a leading applied research institute in industrial and high-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs). As part of the OST Department of Technology, IES specializes in applied thermal systems, fluid dynamics, and vapor-compression technologies for industrial heating and cooling applications.

IES focuses on the development, design, simulation, testing, optimization, and demonstration of advanced heat pump systems for technology suppliers and industrial end users. It hosts the internationally accredited Heat Pump Test Center (WPZ), providing a state-of-the-art laboratory, field-testing infrastructure, and maintaining close collaboration with leading heat pump manufacturers.

IES has a strong track record in national and international R&D projects on industrial process heat decarbonization and electrification, including leading roles in SCCER EIP, SWEET DeCarbCH and the IEA HPT Annex 58. Current research includes multi-stage and transcritical heat pumps, refrigerant mixtures for large temperature glides, and steam-generating HTHP systems.

Core competencies cover cycle design, simulation, control development, prototype construction, experimental validation, and system optimization. While many projects are conducted with industry partners under confidential agreements, selected results are published in scientific literature (Publication list of OST IES).

In 2026, IES organized the OST IHW Forum, a fully booked marketplace for industrial and HTHP suppliers, consultants, and end users, attracting 150 participants.

Relevant ongoing or finalized R&D projects of the national team partners:

Swiss representation in IEA Technology Collaboration Programmes

OST Webinars on Steam-Generating Heat Pump (SGHP)

  • OST Webinars on Steam-Generating Heat Pumps (2023, 2024, and 2025).
  • The 2025 online Webinar attracted more than 730 participants from over 50 countries, comprising mainly researchers, as well as sales engineers, process engineers, product managers, project leaders, and decision-makers, such as CTOs and CEOs.
  • Video recordings available on the SWEET DeCarbCH YouTube channel. 

Education Materials

  • On behalf of EnergieSchweiz (SFOE), a 4-day continuing education course on “Industrial Heat Pumps” was established (in German and English) along with the development of a training laboratory at OST in Buchs. The 4-day course provides an overview of the general HTHP market, including its technical and economic aspects, as well as its integration. It includes hands-on learning with HTHP lab setups at OST IES in Buchs (SG) and an excursion to industrial sites in Switzerland to observe real-world environments for industrial heat pumps. So far, the course has been successfully conducted in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
  • Co-authoring of the standard directive VDI 4646 “Application of Large Heat Pumps” [17], which provides guidance for the planning and evaluation of heat pump systems for industrial applications with heating capacities over 100 kW
  • Book on high-temperature heat pumps (in German): Arpagaus C. Hochtemperatur-Wärmepumpen: Marktübersicht, Stand der Technik und Anwendungspotenziale, 138 pages, ISBN 978-3-8007-4550-0 (Print), ISBN 978-3-8007-4551-7 (E-Book). Offenbach, Berlin: VDE Verlag GmbH; 2018 [18]

Selected OST IES publications with impact on industrial HTHPs

  • Review on HTHPs: Market overview, state of the art, research status, refrigerants, and application potentials (2018) [19], cited 1156 times according to Google Scholar 
  • Review on HTHPs: Market overview, state of the art, and application potential [20]
  • Environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of industrial heat pumps (2025) [21]
  • Review on HTHPs for industrial use (2024) [22]
  • Business models for HTHPs (2023, 2024) [6], [7]
  • Multi-temperature heat pumps (2016) [23]
  • High-glide refrigerant mixtures for HTHPs (2024) [2], [3], [4]
  • Upscaling effects of HTHPs (2024) [24]
  • Overview of industrial and large-scale HPs (2024) [25]
  • White paper on strengthening industrial HP innovation: decarbonizing industrial heat (2020) [26]
  • Book on Hochtemperatur-Wärmepumpen (in German) (2018) [18]
  • Publication list of OST IES

Literature References