Happening – Heat pumps in existing multi-family buildings for achieving the union’s energy and environmental goals

Currently, buildings are responsible for 40% of the energy demand and 36% of the CO2 emissions in Europe. Decarbonization of existing buildings plays a key role in order to reach the overall climate protection targets. However, current renovation rates do not exceed 1%.

Heat pumps are a key technology with regard to increase the share of renewable to supply heat for buildings; especially their combination with onsite renewable electricity production e. g. by means of PV panels allows to ensure high renewable shares. Their current installation in existing multi-apartment buildings is however still marginal.

The proposed technological solution is based on decentralized heat pumps, in such a way that it provides an easy-to-install solution for installers, that it is low-intrusive for the occupants and easily adaptable to a large number of different buildings. This is flanked by developing near-zero planning, implementation and operation processes in order to facilitate the work during the planning phase, to ensure a high-quality installation and effective operation, and reduce the efforts and costs within the whole retrofitting project. The challenge of cost-competitiveness is addressed by developing new financial and business models. Bringing new players (such as financial experts) and financing models to the renovation market is expected to bring the needed paradigm change and boost investments in the residential retrofitting sector. Dissemination of measured performance and system characteristics from HAPPENING will be one of the key results of the project.

Through 3 demo sites (Spain, Italy and Austria), the project will demonstrate a highly versatile, scalable and replicable solution package for retrofitting of buildings’ energy systems allowing 70-75% of renewable energy fraction, 30-50% of primary energy and green house gas emissions savings, reduction of planning time by 50% and installation time by 30% as well as a payback time for ESCOs and investors of less than 8 years, compared to present existing solutions.