01 March 2024

Annex 56 – Digitalization and IoT for Heat Pumps Final Report


Digitalization is one of the most important factors for the transformation of energy systems, as it is
expected to facilitate the matching of supply and demand in the face of increasing volatility of energy
production and contribute significantly to final energy savings and CO2 reductions. Heat pumps are
becoming networked devices that can participate in the Internet of Things (IoT). The IEA HPT Annex
56 project analyses the opportunities and challenges of IoT-enabled heat pumps for use in buildings
and industrial applications. The project provides a structured overview of IoT-enabled heat pumps and
commercial products and services, that was developed in an intensive exchange with experts from
Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
In total, 44 application examples were analyzed that clearly show that IoT-enabled heat pumps and
products based on them are already available on the market. Five categories are assigned to the
application examples: Heat pump operation optimization, Predictive Maintenance, Heat pump
operation commissioning, Provision of flexibility and Heat as a service. Relevant interfaces, data
analysis methods and business models for IoT heat pumps were analyzed. The use of IoT technology
and connectivity can enable or significantly improve data exchange, analysis and the services based
on it. For the users, this enables operating cost and energy savings and increased operational
reliability. For the energy system, the provision of flexibility is of particular importance, as it allows for
better integration of fluctuating generation of renewable energy. The exchange and use of data play
an essential role.