Heat pumps conquer new buildings: 74 % of the houses rely on the future!

Heat pumps conquer new buildings: 74 % of the houses rely on the future!

Deutschland - In Germany, heat pumps have risen to the predominant heating technology in new buildings. In 2024, 69.4 percent of the 76,100 residential buildings completed were heated with this environmentally friendly technology, which corresponds to a striking increase of about 5 percentage points compared to the previous year, so ZVW . Use of 74.1 percent is particularly pronounced in single-family and two-family houses, while in apartment buildings the proportion is 45.9 percent.

The use of heat pumps has been more than doubled since 2014, when the proportion was only 31.8 percent. This development is part of a larger trend towards renewable energies: a total of 73.9 percent of the newly built residential buildings in 2024 mainly use renewable energy sources compared to 38.5 percent in 2014. These renewable are wood, solar thermal, biogas and biomass, albeit in significantly lower proportions.

heat pumps: meaning and future

The trend towards heat pumps also continues in the newly approved residential buildings, where 81 percent are planned with this technology. A total of 84.8 percent of the new apartments are to be heated with renewable energy right from the start, explains Destatis . This positive feedback not only shows the growing awareness of energetic efficiency, but also the effects of state funding that should support the installation of heat pumps.

natural gas, on the other hand, has recorded a decline. In 2024, gas was the second most important energy source in new buildings with 15 percent, while a decade ago over 50 percent of new buildings were operated with natural gas. The use of district heating also fell to 8.5 percent and oil heaters were only installed in 0.3 percent of the projects.

market development and challenges

The Federal Republic produced around 162,400 heat pumps in 2024. The value of the devices produced was 587 million euros, but sales were 59.4 percent compared to the previous year. These numbers reflect the challenges that the industry faces. Exports at 480 million euros were 40.2 percent below the previous year's value, while imports dropped to 755 million euros, which corresponds to a decline of 27.9 percent. These developments are important for an economically sustainable change in heating technology, comments Statista .

Although demand had reached a maximum in 2023 and around 193,000 heating heat pumps were discontinued, the market remains highly competitive. Despite the declines, the federal government undertakes to promote the installation of heat pumps in order to achieve the climate goals. The goal of 500,000 heat pumps installed annually was not achieved in 2024, which underlines the need for action on the market. However, sales show that despite the challenges, the industry continues to have potential for growth and innovation.

Overall, the topic of heat pumps remains on the political agenda and in the public awareness, since the need for environmentally friendly heating solutions is essential in times of climate change. This could also increase the pressure on industry, develop more effective products and to reduce barriers for their distribution.