Five of the Biggest Heat Pump Challenges And How to Solve Them
A wave of startups are scrambling to tackle the barriers stopping heat pumps from hitting the big time.
An intelligent heat pump by Aira at the Everything Electric North Show in Harrogate, England.
Photographer: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
Heat pumps were invented in the 1850s, and they’ve been used in houses and businesses since the middle of the 20th century. While they’re very efficient at heating and cooling, that doesn’t mean they aren’t due for an upgrade.
It’s more complex to design and install a heat pump — which extracts heat from an external source like the air, ground or water, and transfers it into a building — than a gas boiler or furnace. Heat pumps also traditionally rely on refrigerants that pose a risk to the climate, and for users more accustomed to burning fossil fuels for heat, they take some getting used to.