EU formally recognises heat pumps as sources of renewable energy
Air- and ground-source heat pumps are now officially recognised as sources of renewable by the EU Directive on the Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources, following its publication in the Official Journal.
Under the new legislation, all EU member states are required to increase their share of renewable energy to boost the EUs total share to 20% by 2020.
Karl Ochsner, chair of the European Heat Pump Association, comments, ‘Most stakeholders will benefit from the new directive. The individual is encouraged to use state-of-the-art renewable technologies for heating and cooling at lowest possible costs, national economies by increased local demand for such technologies and national governments by the opportunity to reach their individual targets in the burden-sharing agreement in a cost-efficient way.’
Unlike most other forms of renewable energy, heat pumps can be used virtually everywhere — for farms, individual and remotely located houses and building blocks in cities.
