On 26 October 2023, the Heat Pump Centre (HPC) organised a successful meeting of national experts. The HPC is the programme office of the International Energy Agency (IEA) for the Technology Collaboration Programme on Heat Pumping Technologies (HPT TCP). The purpose of the meeting held the day after the 2023 European Heat Pump Summit was to foster the development of innovative ideas and proposals for future international HPT TCP collaborative projects. For the participating experts, the summit was a direct source of new ideas, topics and suggestions.
HPT TCP is the programme for heat pumping technologies within the Technology Collaboration Programme, which has been embedded in the IEA since 1978. This programme provides an international framework for collaboration and networking between various heat pump players, a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience, and a contribution to technological improvements through RDD&D (research, development, demonstration and deployment) projects. HPT TCP currently has 20 member countries.
HPT TCP National Expert Meeting generates exciting project proposals
Dr Veronika Wilk from the Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (AIT) opened the presentations by focusing on digital services for heat pumps. There was also plenty of thought-provoking input from other speakers: Jakob Thomsen from the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) gave a talk on flexibility, sector coupling and high-temperature applications, while Viktor Ölén from the Swedish Refrigeration & Heat Pump Association discussed component miniaturisation. The optimal design of heat pumps to achieve broader user acceptance was the subject of a presentation by Jonas Klingebiel, Research Associate in the Refrigerant Cycles Team at RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Energy Efficient Building and Indoor Climate, while Professor Reinhard Radermacher from the University of Maryland looked at alternative refrigeration approaches. Following the presentations, the participants split up into groups exploring five key thematic areas: flexibility and sector coupling, optimized components, high-temperature capabilities, advanced technologies, and user acceptance. After some lively discussions, each group proposed international projects for their respective areas.
The most promising project ideas will now be developed into full proposals, signalling a trailblazing international collaboration effort to advance heat pumping technologies worldwide.
