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Division 3.10 Remarks related to reversible heat pumps

United Kingdom

Original text. Later amendments are not shown.

Firstly, reversible heat pumps in warm and to some extent average climates are often installed with the purpose of cooling the indoor environment, although they are also used to provide heating during the winter. As the cooling demand in the summer is higher than the heating demand in the winter, the rated capacity reflects the cooling demand rather than the need for heating. As the installed capacity is used as an indicator of heating demand, it implies that the statistics of installed capacity will not reflect the capacity installed for heating purposes. Moreover, reversible heat pumps are often installed in parallel to existing heating systems, implying that these heat pumps are not always used for heating purposes.

Both elements need appropriate adjustment. A conservative reductionf1 to 10 % for warm climate and 40 % for average climate is assumed in Tables 1 and 2 above. However, the real reduction is strongly dependent on national practices for providing heating systems, and national figures shall therefore be used where possible. The use of alternative figures should be submitted to the Commission, together with a report describing the method and data used. The Commission will, if necessary, translate the documents and publish them on its transparency platform.

Annotations

Footnotes

f1

An Italian study (referred to on page 48 of ‘Outlook 2011 — European Heat Pump Statistics’) finds that in less than 10 % of the cases, heat pumps were the only installed heat generator. As reversible air-air heat pumps is the single most installed heat pump technology type (60 % of all installed units — mostly installed in Italy, Spain and France, as well as Sweden and Finland), it is important to adjust the figures appropriately. The Impact Assessment of Commission Regulation (EU) No 206/2012 of 6 March 2012 implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for air conditioners and comfort fans (OJ L 72, 10.3.2012, p. 7) assumes that EU wide, 33 % of reversible heat pumps are not used for heating. In addition one can assume that a large number of the 67 % of reversible heat pumps are only used partly for heating, as the heat pump is installed in parallel to another heating system. The proposed values are therefore appropriate to reduce the risk of over-estimation.