The launch of heat pump systems on the Austrian market started in 1976 – coinciding with the first "oil price crisis". Initially these were mainly compact units for hot water heating ("domestic hot water heat pumps"). From 1980 onwards heat pumps started to be used increasingly for heating purposes, and the annual growth rates for domestic water heat pumps declined, on the one hand because there was a preference on the market for solar-thermal systems for heating water and, on the other hand, heat pumps which were capable of both space and water heating were introduced.

The fall in energy prices which started in 1987 resulted in a collapse in the market, though this recovered again from 2000 onwards. Heat pump systems which are produced and operated energy-efficiently are now classed as "sustainable" heating systems in Austria and form part of the Austrian federal government's climate strategy (Faninger 2007).

The application fields for heat pump technology encompass space heating, domestic hot water heating, heat recovery, cooling and air-conditioning. The range of systems available which are designed to meet the various requirements mean that they can be used both in private homes, in multi-storey blocks of flats and in relatively large (non-residential) buildings and plants. Their use is not restricted to new-build properties, as they can be used equally in old buildings with a high level of thermal insulation which have been renovated to make them suitable for heat pumps. The systems' output spectrum extends from 1000 watts to the megawatt range. Heat pumps have carved out a successful market position in the fields of space heating, water heating and air-conditioning because of their many benefits.

Heat pumps are developing successfully in Austria. The number of heat pump systems installed in Austria was 9,900 in 2005 and 13,637 in 2006. This represents an annual growth rate of 38%. At 39%, the Swiss market recorded similarly high growth rates. The performance of France, with growth of 55%, and Germany, at 121%, is significantly higher. The sales boom in Germany can also be attributed to purchases intended to beat the increase in VAT in 2007. Growth in the saturated Swedish heat pump market, on the other hand, at 18%, shows a clear fall. If we look only at heat pumps used for heating purposes in Austria, the annual market volume increased by no less than 43%.

The Austrian heat pump associations have set themselves the target of achieving a substantial rise in the use of ambient heat for space and water heating in the period from 2007 to 2020. In the new-build sector it ought to be possible to grow the share of heat pumps in the overall heating technologies to 76% in line with the Swiss model. Furthermore, a share of 20 - 50% is the target for the renovation sector.

If these targets are met, up to 46,000 heat pumps would be installed in 2020.

This target, once met, implies savings in primary energy sources and CO2 emissions and positive impacts on the employment situation and value creation.

Sources:
Faninger, G.: Aktueller Stand der Wärmepumpen-Technik in Österreich [Current status of heat pump technology in Austria], paper presented at International Heat Pump Symposium, Nuremberg 2007 (see Studies 3)

Lutz, G.: Wärmepumpenaktionsplan Österreich [Heat pump action plan for Austria]. Commissioned by the Austrian Heat Pump Federation and the Leistungsgemeinschaft Wärmepumpe (Austrian Heat Pump Association), Linz 2007, (see Studies 4)