Earlier this week, EFIEES answered to the Commission’s public consultation on a Heat Pump Action Plan. We emphasised that, given the climate emergency,the limited public and private financing resource, the bottlenecks in manpower and manufactured equipment, it is of utmost importance to optimise the deployment of all possible solutions, and to make sure heat pumps are installed where and when most appropriate. Thus it will be key to:
- Reduce the energy demand as a first priority, as a certain level of energy performance in buildings is definitely a key condition for a successful use of heat pumps.
- Take into consideration local approach in the deployment plan, as the roll-out of heat pumps should be included in a more general approach, possibly at district level, planning and supporting the various decarbonisation solutions depending on their CO² emissions, energy efficiency and economical merits.
- Ensure that the Action Plan is supported by the approriate resources, as the planned step change in the heat pumps roll-out will not only require manufacturing capacities but also skilled technicians to install, maintain and operate these installations. In that respect, the priority should be given to the vattractiveness and the resourcing of candidates, including by upskilling other sectors’ existing workforce thanks to training.
- Make sure that CO2 pricing, energy taxation, State aids, which are decisive to trigger investments, reflect the actual CO2 emission levels of solutions deployed on the ground.
- Support a stable and coherent EU legal framework, as it is paramount to ensure the credibility of the targets, with a major effort on their implementation, in order to give the necessary visibility for deciding new investments.