Innovative components and configurations for heat pumps

Project results are expected to contribute to some of the following expected outcomes:

• Improved performance of heat pumps and/or heat pump components.
• Reduced environmental footprint of heat pumps and/or heat pump components.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
• Enhanced energy system integration.

Support will be given to develop innovative heat pumps and/or heat pump components. The innovative heat pumps and/or heat pump components should be more efficient and more reliable than current commercial solutions. They should be safe and affordable.

The proposal should assess and optimize the requirements in terms of materials needed to produce the heat pumps and/or heat pump components.

Applicants should apply a ‘circularity by design’ approach and assess the sustainability of the proposed solutions from a life cycle perspective. Among others, they should estimate the carbon footprint expressed in gCO2_e/kWh of heat and/or cold delivered.

The requirements of the final users and/or installers should be properly assessed (e.g., in terms of 'plug-and-play' installation, day-to-day operation, maintenance, space requirements, noise, integration with networks and/or other devices, demand response capability, etc.).

Proposals investigating heat pumps with a capacity >12 kW are expected to use refrigerants with 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP) < 150 (timeframe based on the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)).

Proposals should consider standardisation activities as part of their R&I approach, with a view to bringing their technologies closer to the market.

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.