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Germans Turn to Heat Pumps to Replace Gas Furnaces


REMSCHEID, Germany — After decades of heating homes with relatively cheap Russian natural gas, Germans are facing exorbitant energy prices. The search for an alternative heat source that is climate-friendly and does not use natural gas is underway.

Enter, heat pump.

Using a technology that dates back to the 1970s, these box-shaped machines were unexpectedly well received throughout Germany — so much so that heat pumps often sell out and wait times for qualified installers can be extended. month long.

The German government is one of the fans.

“This is the technology of the future,” Robert Habeck, the economy minister, told reporters last month when announcing the government’s plan to promote heat pumps.

“To achieve our goal, we want to have 6 million customers by 2030,” said Mr. Habeck.

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

For Vaillant, a 150-year-old family company in Remscheid that has for decades been a leading manufacturer of boilers and gas furnaces, the push from Berlin came at the perfect time. Six years ago, the company decided that if it was still relevant, it would have to look beyond fossil fuels to find a more sustainable yet affordable way to heat homes.

“We realized that if one piece of equipment was going to replace a gas heater, it would be a heat pump,” says Norbert Schiedeck, chief executive officer of Vaillant.

The bet paid off. Heat pump sales in Germany have more than doubled in the past two years, especially as gas prices soar.

In 2021, however, heat pumps account for only 15% of all heating systems sold in Germany, second to the popular gas condenser boilers, according to data from the German Energy Agency. Many Germans remain wary of the high purchase and installation prices, which at 25,000 to 30,000 euros can be three times that of a gas furnace.

To encourage people to make the change, the government is offering subsidies that can cover up to a quarter of a unit’s upfront price, 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 is not affordable or abundant. According to Agora Energiewende, a policy institute in Berlin, residents of Finland and Norway, countries heavily dependent on electricity, have 10 times more heat pumps than Germans. Even the Netherlands, which is rich in natural gas but promoted more climate-friendly machines a few years ago, has twice as many units as Germany has.

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

When Andreas Schmitz bought a family home on the outskirts of Cologne in 2020, he wanted to make a positive change for the climate. That means installing solar panels on his roof and getting rid of the oil burner in the basement.

“Continuing to use gas or oil is not an option for me,” he said in an interview from his home overlooking a misty field. “I want to get rid of fossil fuels.”

But when he realized how much it would cost to buy and had an expert install a heat pump, Mr. Schmitz balked. “Even with subsidies, it’s obviously too expensive for me,” he said.

A trained scientist who loves to spend his spare time tinkering with batteries, he decided to take an air conditioner and turn it into a heat pump for his living room. He has installed appliances in other rooms and hopes to save at least €2,000 on heating bills this winter.

Although autumn temperatures are relatively mild and Germany’s natural gas storage facilities are operating at full capacity, natural gas prices have doubled from a year ago. Analysts do not expect it to retreat anytime soon, and the Germans are eagerly looking for alternatives.

Vaillant is addressing the need for more heat pump installers by training them themselves. Drawing on a network of plumbers and mechanics who have worked with the company for decades, company officials say they hope to be able to speed up customer wait times.

“Installing a heat pump is more complex and complex than installing a gas appliance,” said Mr. Schiedeck, chief executive officer. “So we set up and built a very large training center to get our mechanics up to speed.”

According to the Economy Ministry, Germany says it is short of about 175,000 skilled workers, and about a third of them are needed for jobs related to the energy transition. They include people who install heat pumps and solar panels and workers to add insulation to homes or maintain wind turbines.

Another obstacle to the widespread use of heat pumps is their noise. German regulations to curb noise pollution have led to numerous legal disputes between homeowners who have installed heat pumps and their neighbors who are fed up with the constant hum of the machines. .

Aware of this problem, German manufacturers have tweaked their machines to make them run more quietly. Vaillant changed the angle of the blades and cut zigzag notches into their edges, testing the results in a soundproof room on their factory premises.

Even as German industry ramps up production, manufacturers are still struggling to buy parts caught up in the supply chain slowdown.

Oliver Loitzsch decided this year that he wanted to update the heating system in his house in western Germany by replacing his 32-year-old heater and water heater with a hybrid system that incorporates a pump. heat with conventional natural gas heating.

“I want to do my part to contribute to the fight against climate change,” he said.

In February, he ordered a unit made by another German family company, Buderus. For months, he simply waited. In August, he received word that some parts were ready, and a few weeks later a piece of pipe, some wires and transmission box arrived.

He’s still waiting for the heat pump to arrive.

Buderus said it is working to meet demand but is having trouble procuring components. The company does not expect the situation to improve in the short term.

For Mr. Loitzsch, who has run a gas and water installation business for more than 25 years, one bright spot is that he won’t have to worry about installation — he already has someone to help line up and he already has several months to study the User’s Manual.

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