IEA Annex: Varmepumper i en cirkulær økonomi

Heat pumps consist of materials with a significant material footprint. To align this with a circular economy, the products need to be optimized in a lifecycle perspective with a long lifetime and with the possibility for lifetime extension through repairs.

This means that companies providing individual heat pumps to the Danish market need to adjust the products to accommodate a future where both energy and material efficiency are important competitive parameters.

Therefore, the overall objective of the present annex, ‘Heat Pumps in a circular economy’, is to provide an overview of the status of heat pumps in relation to a circular economy, to highlight the technological possibilities for improving the circularity as well as to develop best practice recommendations.

The intention is to improve the understanding of circular economy aspects among various stakeholders, such as manufacturers, installers, consultants, energy planners, and policy makers. In addition, the Annex aims to provide supporting material and knowledge that can improve the circularity of heat pumps by evaluating the material efficiency and the business models to support the circular economy related to heat pumps.