Heat Pumps Miss Efficiency Mark in Europe

(ETH Zurich, May 08, 2025)

Despite heat pumps being touted as eco-friendly heaters, a study shows a significant gap between their potential and actual efficiency. Dr. Tobias Brudermüller and Prof. Thorsten Staake from ETH Zurich, alongside the Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE and Zurich's utility provider EKZ, found that 17% of air-source heat pumps in Europe failed to meet efficiency standards due to setup errors. This discovery points to a chance for major energy savings and better climate target achievements through improved heat pump use. The team carried out the largest field study of its kind, analyzing real-time data from 1,023 heat pump units across ten European countries over two years. They created a new system to standardize unit comparisons, despite different building types, by measuring flow temperature and energy consumption. This allowed for specific improvements in heat pump configuration and monitoring, significantly reducing energy use and helping achieve climate goals by increasing the efficiency of this essential heating technology. ETH Zurich's method could help better optimize existing setups and sets a benchmark for future energy efficiency efforts.