High costs and interest rates, misinformation and the recession in the construction sector are delaying the installation of heat pumps in buildings, a technology critical to combating climate change, with sales slowing significantly in both the US and Europe. Europe.
Investment in heat pumps in the United States has fallen 4% in the last two years, despite sales of electric vehicles almost doubling, according to data from MIT and the Rhodium Group.
In 13 European countries, sales fell by almost half in the first half of 2024, distracting the European Union from its climate goals.
“I have to build a new house”
Frank Kruse, an engineer from East Berlin, says he is not against heat pumps. Just to install one, you’ll have to demolish his house and build a new one!
“They only work in low-energy homes – and mine doesn’t,” he told the Financial Times. “To make it truly energy efficient, you would need to rebuild the entire exterior of the house, including the roof.”
However, heat pumps – essentially air conditioners that can heat or cool space – are vital to making buildings more environmentally friendly. About 60% of American homes are still heated by burners that run on oil, natural gas or even propane.
The European Union hopes to install 60 million heat pumps by 2030 – but at the current rate of installation, it could only be three-quarters of the way there.
In the United States, experts cite a delay in construction, high interest rates and a squeeze on household finances due to inflation.
“Heating systems should be replaced every 15 years”
Lacey Tan, director of the carbon-free buildings team at clean energy think tank RMI, says heating systems should be replaced at least every 15 years or so.
According to data from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, The last major boom in new housing construction occurred in 2005, followed by a housing collapse in 2008. This means that the biggest wave of energy upgrades for these homes has passed- the homes being renovated now were built during the housing crisis.
Cora Wyand, research director at electrification advocacy group Rewiring America, It also points to the fact that fewer buildings are being built.
“Many contractors are not properly trained to install them”
Homeowners also face problems when trying to find contractors to install heat pumps. Burton James, president and CEO of Air Conditioning Contractors of America, says many contractors aren’t trained on how to install them properly, with the risk that if they are installed incorrectly, problems could arise that could cause consumers to resent the technology.
However, while new heat pumps thereWhile they perform well in cold climates, older models have a reputation for struggling when outside temperatures get too low.
“Unprofitable installation, but high energy efficiency”
In the United States, low natural gas prices also make the financial burden of heat pumps less profitable. Natural gas is around three times cheaper than electricity – although heat pumps balance the higher cost with their energy efficiency.
Far-right disinformation and the real cost
In Europe, heat pump companies are also facing a wave of misinformation.
Last year in Germany, the government proposed a ban on the installation of gas burners. The law, which ended up being devalued, became a central point of discussion for the emerging far-right, which claimed that heat pumps cost up to 100,000 euros (almost $109,000) and only worked if houses had floors. radiant.
The real cost of switching from gas or oil boilers to heat pumps varies between 25,000 and 30,000 euros.
Paul Kenny, director general of the European Heat Pump Association, points to the backlash from the far right – as well as falling gas prices.
In 2023, with the invasion of Ukraine, natural gas prices soared and Europe quickly abandoned this specific fuel. Now, their prices have fallen, undermining the benefits of switching to electricity.
“Right-wing politicians and populists need ‘wars,’” Kenny said. “And the weather is one of them.”
naftemporiki.gr