Sustainable heat from Daikin

When it comes to sustainable heating, heat pumps are at the top of the list.  Backed by initiatives such as the Green Deal, the technology is ready for further growth.  Daikin is therefore investing in the further development of the heat pump with a new research centre in Ghent. 

Daikin is an international market leader in heating and cooling systems. The company wants to be climate neutral by 2050, and is implementing internal actions to that end. In addition, Daikin wants to make a substantial contribution to the decarbonization of our heating system through its appliances.  

Efficient heating with a heat pump

For the European consumer organization BEUC, it is already clear: the heat pump is the cheapest green heating system and the best way to make the heating of our buildings more sustainable. 

"When it comes to efficient heating, many people think of a gas condensing boiler," says Patrick Crombez, General Manager Heating & Renewables of Daikin Europe. "And the most recent models are indeed very efficient: about 95% of the energy is converted into usable heat. A heat pump works on electricity: a compressor transfers energy from the outside to a coolant. Depending on the outside temperature, you get four to five kilowatts of heat for every kilowatt of electricity. Then you're talking about three times less CO₂ emissions compared to a gas boiler."

"A heat pump emits about three times less CO₂ than a gas boiler. The share of carbon free energy in the grid is of course the determining factor, but the heat pump comes out better in every scenario."
Patrick Crombez, General Manager, Heating & Renewables

"The share of carbon-free energy in the grid is of course the determining factor, but in every scenario the heat pump comes out better. Your building must be sufficiently insulated to get the best out of it. In Belgium, for example, you can assume that houses less than twenty years old meet this requirement."

Acceleration 

With the European Green Deal and the sustainable restart after the coronavirus pandemic, a unique opportunity is presenting itself for heat pump manufacturers. "Such initiatives place a strong emphasis on renovation," Crombez explains. "There is now a desire to focus on energy efficiency and sustainable solutions, as is already the case in new buildings. Eight million heating appliances are currently installed every year in Europe, of which almost seven million in renovations. We estimate that heat pumps will account for half of the total market by 2030.”

"To add weight to this ambition, we are already expanding our production capacity. Our competitors are doing the same, incidentally. Even more and more traditional heating manufacturers are making the switch. We are also investing in a research centre in Ghent, because Daikin Europe is ideally placed to be the knowledge centre for the new heating system at a global level. We are working harder than ever before to further develop and promote the heat pump.