Sales on the European heat pump market increased 3% year-on-year to 769 879 units in 2013, according to the European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2014, produced by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).
According to the report, the heat pump market continues to be governed by three major trends. Firstly, air is and will remain the dominant energy source for heat pumps. Secondly, sanitary hot water heat pumps are the fastest growing heat pump segment across Europe. The final trend noted in the report is that larger heat pumps for commercial, industrial and district heating applications are becoming increasingly popular. While these often use geothermal or hydrothermal energy, air is also an energy source used by a number of installations.
On an individual country perspective, 15 out of the 21 markets surveyed experienced growth, with some countries even experiencing double-digit growth for the second year in a row. Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Finland saw their heat pump markets completely turn around, following a slump in 2012. The biggest markets, such as France and Sweden, had a major influence on the overall positive results for the European market. Early figures from 2014 indicate that the positive trend on the heat pump market continued last year, and the final results for 2014 are expected to show even larger growth rates than in 2013.
The heat pump stock in 2013 (heat pumps sold in the past twenty years) contributed to 20 Mt of greenhouse gas emission savings. According to a recent Ecofys study of the eight most important heat pump markets, an ambitious heat pump scenario would lead to a 47% decrease of greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector (compared to current levels) by 2030. However this will require a heat pump-based strategy for heating and cooling with significant government interventions in all Member States of the European Union.