Fraunhofer ISE has developed a prototype manufacturer-neutral application that combines multiple stages of heat pump planning and installation in a single tool. The “Heat Pump PlanAR” app was created under the three-year WESPE research project, coordinated by Germany’s Zentralverband Sanitär Heizung Klima (ZVSHK), in collaboration with skilled trade businesses.
Installed on a tablet, the app captures a boiler room using a 3D scan. Technicians can select a system layout from a database, after which the software automatically positions the main components and calculates a cost-optimized piping layout. The proposed configuration can be viewed and manually adjusted using augmented reality, with later changes possible from a desk through a virtual reality view.
The application allows technicians to simulate different system, piping and installation options during an initial customer visit. It can also support quote preparation, compare costs for different system configurations, and export a bill of materials and estimated installation time.
The prototype or individual components are now available to software providers for integration, further development and commercialization. Component positioning optimization and automatic piping routing are also offered as licensable web services.
“Our goal was therefore to create a cross-workflow tool to speed up the installation process and reduce the workload for these businesses,” said Annette Uhl, research associate at Fraunhofer ISE. The WESPE project was funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and included Fraunhofer institutes, trade organizations, Hans Schramm GmbH and 15 skilled trade businesses.
