Heat pump market calms down
As recently as last year, GebäudeKlima Schweiz recorded a 23 percent increase in heat pump sales in the recorded market figures. Now the market has calmed down somewhat, as have the supply chains. Nevertheless, it is still advisable to plan heating system replacements at an early stage.
Sales of heat pumps have stabilised at a high level. This is shown by a look at the market figures recorded by GebäudeKlima Schweiz. In 2021 and 2022, the Swiss association of manufacturers and suppliers of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technology regularly recorded over 20 percent growth in sales of heat pumps. In the second quarter of 2023, it was still up ten per cent compared to the same period last year. “This has brought some calm to the market and allows us to gradually reduce the pent-up heat pump order intake from last year,” says Luigi Di Cola, managing director of Hoval Switzerland and board member of GebäudeKlima Schweiz. In fact, delivery times of up to twelve months have been experienced in some cases over the past two years. The heat pump market has grown by more than 50 per cent since 2020 against the backdrop of higher prices for fossil fuels and the targeted energy turnaround, explains Luigi Di Cola. At the same time, the numbers for fossil heat generators dropped sharply, especially in the small output range. “However, there is still demand for larger oil and gas heaters, among other things in connection with bivalent heating systems.”
Increase in district heating
In response to the explosion in demand, Hoval, for example, has expanded its production of heat pumps by 300 per cent, which is now having an effect. In addition, the supply chains have also stabilised somewhat, although not yet completely. “Unfortunately, not all suppliers kept up with the expansion of capacities. The result is that sometimes specific elements, such as plate heat exchangers, are suddenly missing and we can no longer produce individual heat pump models. Or there is a lack of water storage tanks, so that the entire system cannot be installed.” According to Luigi Di Cola, however, the supply chains should continue to normalise in the coming months. The managing director of Hoval Switzerland also does not expect the growth figures for heat pumps to be as high as in recent years in the foreseeable future. On the one hand, because many system owners with lower financial and/or planning hurdles have already switched. “On the other hand, we are now seeing a strong increase in sales of district heating stations in urban areas, which of course has an influence on other heating technologies.”
Continue to plan early
As a homeowner, you should still think about the future of your own heating early on. The situation has calmed down on the part of manufacturers and suppliers. “But now the ordered systems are being implemented, and the workload of the installation companies is correspondingly high,” observes Luigi Di Cola. Manufacturers and suppliers are therefore doing everything they can to simplify the work of planners and installers as much as possible with good documentation and other assistance. At the same time, the Managing Director of Hoval Switzerland appeals to end customers for understanding for any installation bottlenecks that may arise and continues to advise that planning be tackled in good time with all those involved and that under no circumstances should the gas or oil heating system be removed too early.
Source www.gebaeudetechnik-news.ch