Heat pumps

Promotion of high-quality heat pump systems in residential and office buildings through contracting services.

Project objective - summary

The main objective of this project is to support and accelerate the use of heat pump systems in existing residential buildings with a focus on multi-family houses and commercial buildings through energy service contracts (contracting) and integrated quality management tools by enabling optimised planning, installation and monitoring of heat pump systems.

The project will support the introduction of heat pumps through the following measures:

• Development of customised heat-as-a-service contracts for heat pumps: 
  Contract models can overcome financial and legal barriers and enable large-scale deployment. Transparent models also ensure fair conditions for all parties involved. The contractor is also interested in an efficient heat pump system due to the chosen price model.
   
• High-quality heat pump installations through the use of special tools:
  These tools are designed to ensure an optimised design and installation of the heat pump system, taking into account the building characteristics, the requirements of existing heating system components, legal requirements (e.g. noise) and system integration (e.g. PV, solar), as well as continuous optimisation of operation.

Benefits for key target groups that use or implement services for heat pump systems

1. Private and public building owners

• Optimised and increased use of modern, efficient and renewable technologies (e.g. heat pumps, PV) and thus contribution to climate protection targets and compliance with legal requirements.
• Low client investment costs and correctly dimensioned, high-quality systems: the contractor takes care of the financing, high-quality planning and installation of the heat generation system. Professional operation and maintenance is carried out by experienced specialised companies.
• Predictable costs: Maximum efficiency and transparent heat prices, including clear value protection clauses over the term of the contract, ensure greater budget security.

2. Energy service provider

• Development of new customer groups: Owners of existing multi-family and commercial buildings who are supported in replacing fossil-fuelled heating systems with heat pumps.
• Use of innovative and advanced tools to ensure and increase the implementation of high-quality and efficient heat pump systems.
• Risk minimisation: Standardisation of tools for planning and installation as well as for optimisation during the use phase.

3. Political decision-makers

• Contribution to achieving climate targets: Decarbonisation of the building stock, which accounts for a large proportion of final energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Acceleration of the heating transition through professional implementation. Faster market penetration of efficient technologies through scalable contract models.
• Relief for public budgets and funding programmes: Investments by contractors reduce the need for government subsidies. In addition, long-term cost savings result from lower energy consumption and reduced dependence on fossil fuels.

Overview of the project phases

I. Analysis and development

• Analysis of current conditions and needs in all four countries (AT, DE, PT, LV) and involvement of stakeholders.
• Optimisation of existing and development of new legal and economic instruments for design and technical tools for improved planning/installation and optimisation during the use phase.

II Demonstration

• Selection, implementation and evaluation of demonstration projects, including the application and trialling of tools and concepts.
• Development of best practice guidelines and optimised contract models and tools based on the results of these demonstration projects.

III Dissemination

• International dissemination of concepts and tools, provision of training and establishment of national contact points to support relevant stakeholders.

Consortium

AUSTRIAN ENERGY AGENCY (AEA), VIENNA, AT (Coordination)

AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH (AIT), VIENNA, AT

ING. AIGNER WASSER-WAERME-UMWELT GMBH (AIGNER WWU), AT

DEUTSCHE ENERGIE-AGENTUR GMBH (DENA), BERLIN, DE

ADENE - AGENCIA PARA A ENERGIA (ADENE), LISBOA, PT

EKODOMA (EKODOMA), RIGA, LV

RENESCO SIA (RENESCO), RIGA, LV

VEOLIA PORTUGAL S.A. (VEOLIA PT), Lisbon, PT

COOPERNICO - COOPERATIVA DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTAVEL CRL

(COOPERNICO), PT

Client / Funding body	EU LIFE programme
Project management	Franz Zach
Project team	Bernd Schäppi Alexander Reiger
Participating countries	Austria, Germany, Latvia, Portugal
Project duration	September 2025 to February 2029