The HVACR Sector at a crossroads: challenges and opportunities for heat pumps [2]

The heating and cooling sector is increasingly in the spotlight: numerous studies address expected market growth and demand for heating and cooling products and services over the coming years, accompanied by the need to increase energy efficiency and to phase-down HFCs. For example, the International Energy Agency concludes in its report “the future of cooling”, that energy needs for space cooling will triple by 2050 meaning that meeting peak electricity demand will become a major challenge – a challenge, that can be addressed by dedicated policies to improve the efficiency of air-conditioners. This presentation gives an overview of the European and global landscape, societal trends and the role that HVACR and heat pumps can and have to play in this context. These are challenging times, potentially offering excellent opportunities for sustainable growth. However, if not addressed correctly, they can also turn into a major threat. Manufacturers have to anticipate and embrace change, for example by adopting low GWP refrigerants and associated challenges such as flammability, by further increasing energy efficiency and by taking a holistic approach where a product is not seen in isolation but as a well-connected part of a bigger system. However, this presentation will not focus on the technical detail but rather on the policy framework on a European and national level, highlighting hooks, opportunities and threats for HVACR and heat pumps and brainstorming on priority activities for the sector to make its voice heard with the objective to create favourable framework conditions for sustainable development in a world where climate change is one of the main drivers for change.