Heat Pumps

The safety and performance properties of HFC, HFC/HFO blends and HFO refrigerants make them suitable for use in heat-pumps, particularly where charge size and location exclude other options.

In 2019 “80% of heat pumps sold in 2019 contained R-410A refrigerants with R-134A being the second most common” according to BSRIA.
HFC-32 lower GWP HFO/HFC blends and HFO refrigerants are increasingly being used in heat pump applications.

How do heat pumps work:

Heat pumps convert heat from a lower temperature to a useful higher temperature. The heat is used for space, water and manufacturing process heating. The low temperature heat source can be air, water, ground or low temperature waste-heat. Heat pumps use the refrigeration cycle and rely on the specific refrigerant properties including performance and safety.

How much energy can they save

According to the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), for each kW of electricity consumed by a heat pump, about 4kW of thermal energy is generated. This corresponds to a 300% efficiency whereas all direct heating methods are less than 100% efficient. Thanks to the 11.8 million units installed across Europe, heat pump technology has quickly developed into a cornerstone of Europe’s heat supply.

Heat pumps capture energy from renewable sources:

The amount of aerothermal, geothermal or hydrothermal energy captured by heat pumps is considered to be energy from renewable sources according to the Renewable energy sources directive (RED).

What about emissions of refrigerant from heat pumps

Depending on the refrigerant used the level of benefit from using a heat pump is at least about an order of magnitude greater than the emissions associated with refrigerant loss. There are three main factors to consider for the emissions related to heat pumps.

F-gas Regulation and Heat Pumps

Regulation 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases contains measures that apply to heat pumps containing HFCs. These are all the measures that have the objective of reducing emissions through leakage checking, recovery, and training and certification. While the HFCs used in heat pumps and, since 2017, for imported pre-charged heat pumps must be within the HFC quota system. HFCs and HFOs used in Heat Pumps are covered by the phase-down and market prohibitions prescribed by the F-gas Regulation, more information on this here.

There are no placing on the market restrictions for heat pumps (see also the stationary air-conditioning applications page). In fact, The REPowerEU Plan includes a target to roll out 10 million hydronic heat pumps by 2027 and to double the rate of heat pump deployment by 2030, resulting in a total additional deployment of at least 30 million heat pumps by 2030.
GWPs, classifications and applications for HFCs/HFOs/HCFOs and refrigerant blends subject to the F-gas Regulation can be found here.

Heat pump applications use a range of lower GWP fluorocarbon refrigerants

Air- or water-to-water heat pumps use R-410A,

but R-32 is replacing it in some systems, which is facilitated due to the water circuit transferring the heat. R-32 has higher efficiency than R-410A and a lower GWP (675 compared to 2088 for R-410A) contributing to lower over greenhouse gas emissions. R-454B (an A2L refrigerant with GWP 466) is also suitable as a replacement for R-410A in new systems designed for its s mildly flammable properties. R-407C is used for water- or ground- to water heat pumps and the mildly flammable HFC/HFO blend refrigerants R-454C or R-455A refrigerants with GWPs less than 150 have properties that may make then suitable as alternatives to R-407C but only in new equipment. R-134a is used for some small monobloc (hermetic) ground source heat pumps.

Heat pump (thermodynamic) water heaters

for domestic or other hot water systems raise the temperature to higher temperatures (>60°C) compared to space heating requirements (25-40°C). Due to its non-flammability and properties, R-134a is used as refrigerant for some heat pump water heaters. HFO-1234ze(E) has suitable thermodynamic properties as an alternative to R-134a, but it classified as mildly flammable (2L). For combined space/water heaters R-32 is being implemented for some systems.

Heat pump tumble dryers

are typically 40% to 50% more efficient than the most efficient condenser electric tumble dryers, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Non-flammable R-134a and R-407C are used but The non-flammable HFC/HFO blend R-450A is being used as an alternative to R-134a as it has similar properties and a GWP of 605 (compared to 1430 for R-134a).

See air-conditioning section which includes reversible air-conditioners providing heating and cooling and the high temperature heat pumps section for industrial heat pumps

Additional Ref: 2018 AFCE Final Report Energy Efficient State of the Art of Available Low-GWP Refrigerants and Systems. Original report: AFCE (Alliance Froid Climatisation Environnement) website.