Towards an Efficient Decarbonization of Heat Use

"An important prerequisite for the market launch of heat pumps is the removal of financing bottlenecks caused by high investment costs. However, public funding for switching heating systems must not be at the expense of energy-efficient renovation measures," says cep economist Andre Wolf, who has analysed the arguments in the heating debate.

In order to facilitate grid management, Wolf believes that Member States should create the legal conditions for flexible operation of heat pumps depending on the electricity supply. This requires not only economic incentives, but also the development of common technical standards to ensure interoperability.

"These framework conditions will help to overcome the current skills shortages and  accelerate innovation. This will mobilise market forces in this sector, which is so important for decarbonisation," emphasises Wolf.