THE SWITZERLAND RESEARCH PROGRAM
The heat pump research program of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) supports projects for retrofit heat pumps, improvement of components and cycles, introduction of natural working fluids, screening for and improvement of heat sources and establishing methods for estimation of COP. Heat pumps are treated as renewable energy in Switzerland, because they allow the use of renewable ambient heat. The annual governmental support for research in heat pump application is around 1.5 million Swiss Francs and covers about 2/3 of total project cost. One-third is carried through individual companies or research institutes.