The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has called on the European Commission to establish a dedicated European Partnership on Heat Pumps under Horizon Europe 2028–2034. In an October 2026 position paper, the association proposes recognising heat pumps as a specific research and innovation priority, with long-term funding covering residential, commercial, district heating and industrial applications.
EHPA proposes organising research and innovation activities around four pillars: cost competitiveness, environmental contribution, energy system integration and market uptake. Cost-related priorities include modular and prefabricated systems, interoperable components, improved part-load efficiency and financing models designed to address high upfront costs.
Environmental research priorities include low-GWP and natural refrigerants, safety standards, recyclable components and lifecycle assessment. The association also identifies high-temperature industrial heat pumps, hybrid compression–absorption systems and non-compression technologies such as magnetocaloric, elastocaloric, thermoelectric and thermoacoustic systems as areas for further development.
For energy system integration, EHPA highlights predictive controls, AI-based optimisation, performance monitoring and coordination of multiple heat pump units. Additional priorities include thermal and seasonal storage, integration with geothermal, sewage and river heat sources, and participation in electricity flexibility markets. Market uptake measures would address certification, workforce training, commissioning, reliability testing and user acceptance.
EHPA also recommends establishing a SET Plan Implementation Working Group on Heat Pumps, continuing the Heat Pump Accelerator Platform and creating a dedicated Net-Zero Industry Academy for Heat Pumps. The proposed partnership would be linked to the European Competitiveness Fund and other EU instruments supporting demonstration, industrial scale-up and deployment.
