A Heart for the Power Grid - How Heat Pumps Provide Balance in the Energy System
The European Union wants to decarbonize the heating sector with heat pumps. To this end, sales figures are to be doubled in the next five years, which corresponds to a total of 10 million heat pumps. Due to the increasing demand for electricity, the load on the power grids is growing, but at the same time heat pumps can contribute to their balance through their flexibility. According to a recent study by the European smartEn association, an additional 510 TWh of electricity will be needed for heating in 2030, but at the same time electric heating in private households also represents the greatest potential for providing flexibility on the consumption side. Heat pump manufacturer Viessmann is working with transmission system operators and other partners to harness the flexibility potential of residential heat pumps. We asked Egbert Tippelt from Viessmann how this works and what obstacles still need to be overcome.
Timeline:
- 01.25: Viessmann is working with transmission system operators to harness the flexibility of heat pumps to stabilize electricity grids. What exactly is this project about?
- 05.01: How does communication work between transmission system operators at one end of the power grid and the heat pump at the other?
- 12.28: What needs to be considered when homeowners combine a PV system with a heat pump?
- 15.36: What still needs to happen, technically and regulatory-wise, to take advantage of the flexibility of heat pumps, as well as other appliances, on a large scale?
Published: December 22, 2022
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About Viessmann & Egbert Tippelt
Viessmann, a family-owned company, was founded in 1917 as a heating technology manufacturer and is now a global leader in sustainable climate (heating, cooling, water and air quality) and renewable energy solutions. The Integrated Viessmann Solutions portfolio seamlessly connects products and systems via digital platforms and services, creating an individualized feel-good climate for users. All activities are based on the corporate mission statement "We design living spaces for future generations". This is the responsibility that the 13,000-member Viessmann family faces every day together with its (trade) partners.
Egbert Tippelt has been part of the heat pump industry since the 1990s. He started as a sales representative in the field at Viessmann and has been product manager for heat pumps there since 2006. He is also the spokesman for the BWP's technology department and a member of the EHPA Quality Seal Committee in Germany. He has co-written and co-designed many VDI guidelines and manuals on heat pumps and is one of the initiators of the SG Ready Labels for heat pumps.
