The heating and cooling sector still accounts for over 50% of all energy consumption in the EU.
Although renewable energy sources have gradually increased their contribution over the years, they only accounted for 26.2% of final energy consumption in the heating and cooling sector in 2023, meaning that around 70% still comes from fossil fuels.
To reduce the use of fossil fuels in the heating and cooling sector, several alternatives exist. However, these options come with specific limitations related to cost, scalability, geography, or environmental impact.
The role of heat pumps stands out in this context as, unlike other alternatives, they represent a mature technology capable of providing both heating and cooling, allowing for greater use of renewable energy sources and waste heat, doing so with significantly higher efficiency than conventional fossil-fuel-based systems.
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