IEA HPT Annex 47 - Heat Pumps in District Heating and Cooling systems

A significant use of alternative heat sources with district heating networks is a major challenge for sustainable energy supply in Austria. Especially with the increasing fluctuating power sources such as PV and wind and the decreasing electricity prices, the integration of heat pumps into district heating networks becomes increasingly relevant. While in Scandinavia heat pumps are already extensively used in district heating networks (about 10% of the district heating supply in Sweden), there are in Austria only very occasional case studies. Within the IEA-HPP Annex 47, the potentials and barriers for the integration of heat pumps in district heating and cooling networks are analysed and prepared for policy makers.