Heat pumps: Germany’s alternative to the energy crisis

REMSCHEID, Germany — After decades of heating homes with relatively cheap Russian natural gas, Germans are facing high energy prices. The search for alternative heating that is climate friendly and free of natural gas is on.

That’s where the heat pump comes in.

Using technology that dates back to the 1970s, these boxy machines have been embraced across Germany — so much so that heat pumps often run out and the wait for a qualified installer can be months.

Heat pumps work like a reverse air conditioner, using a large fan that draws air through refrigerant tubes to extract heat from the outside environment. The cost of electricity needed to run a heat pump is about 35 percent cheaper than natural gas, according to Verivox, a company that compares energy prices. The savings are even greater for those who can run their heat pumps with solar panels.

For Vaillant, a 150-year-old family business in Remscheid that has been a leading manufacturer of gas boilers and heaters for decades, the demand comes at the perfect time. Six years ago, the company decided that to stay relevant, it would have to look beyond fossil fuels.

“We realized that if an appliance is going to replace the gas heater, it will be the heat pump,” said Norbert Schiedeck, Vaillant’s chief executive.

Sales of heat pumps in Germany have more than doubled in the last two years.

However, in 2021, heat pumps accounted for only 15 percent of all heating systems sold in Germany, second only to the ubiquitous gas condensing boiler. Many Germans are still suspicious about the high purchase and installation price, which at between 25,000 and 30,000 euros can be triple that of a gas boiler.

To encourage change, the government offers subsidies that can cover up to a quarter of the price of a unit, along with subsidies for other energy efficiency improvements up to a total of €60,000.

Germany lags far behind its European neighbors, where imported natural gas was not as affordable or abundant. Residents of Finland and Norway, who are most dependent on electricity, have 10 times as many heat pumps as Germans, reports Agora Energiewende, a policy institute in Berlin.

Although the autumn was mild and Germany’s natural gas storage facilities are full, the price of gas is double what it was a year ago. And the Germans are eager to find alternatives.

One of the biggest problems in Germany is the lack of qualified mechanics to install heat pumps. This has led to a growing do-it-yourself community, fueled by information exchanged on forums and videos.

Another obstacle has been the noise of the bombs. There have been legal disputes between owners who installed the pumps and neighbors fed up with the hum of the machines. Manufacturers have been refining their machines to make them quieter.

The Government remains optimistic about the potential of the bombs as a good alternative.

“This is the technology of the future,” Robert Habeck, the German Finance Minister, said in November.

By: MELISSA EDDY and PATRICK JUNKER