Daikin: Heat pumps are becoming an increasingly popular choice for home heating in Romania. Low operating costs and durability, the main benefits

7 out of 10 European homes will be warmed with a heat pump by 2030

Bucharest. High efficiency, long-term return on investment and low environmental impact are the main reasons why more and more Romanians consider it to be worthwhile to invest in high-quality heat pumps, according to data from a recent GfK survey, initiated by Daikin Central Europe in Romania and eight other Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Being up to four times more efficient than gas boilers, heat pumps are becoming the preferred choice for home heating, both among respondents planning to buy a property in the near future and among those looking to replace existing heating equipment.

For every kilowatt of electricity used, a heat pump generates 3 to 4 kilowatts of renewable heat from the air, resulting in a 300 – 400% efficiency improvement and a significant reduction in annual heating costs, according to specialists at Daikin, the market leader in heat pump technology. While for Romanian respondents, efficiency would be the main benefit for which they would choose to install a heat pump, in Austria 45% of respondents mentioned heat pumps as their preferred heating system because they are environmentally friendly, save energy and are affordable. For 40% of Polish respondents a strong argument for such a choice is being eco-friendly, and most Czech (35%) and Slovakian (29%) respondents would prefer a heat pump because of its financial efficiency and energy saving features.

Price is the strongest convincing argument among 59% of respondents in Slovenia, who prefer a heat pump as a heating system for the future, while in Croatia, apart from the reasonable price, 33% of respondents also expect it to be environmentally friendly. There are similar preferences across Hungary, with 24% of respondents choosing a heat pump as their heating solution due to its low environmental impact and cost efficiency, while 23% still prefer boilers due to the price and comfort offered. At the opposite end of the spectrum, in Bulgaria, air conditioners are the most popular heating and cooling system (51% of respondents), while in Romania, 50% of respondents would still choose a gas boiler due to easy access to the grid and capped prices.

Going beyond the context of the long-term strategic vision adopted by the European Commission on climate impact, an important driver for increasing demand for heat pumps is the replacement of the existing heating systems. The same GfK data shows that the strongest intention to switch from gas boilers to heat pumps is in Austria, but also in Poland, heat pumps are proving to be an efficient replacement for district heating in the future. In the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Romania, the preference for heat pumps is also growing, unlike in Bulgaria, where this technology is less popular.

“Heat pumps are one of the key technologies driving the energy transition in Europe, so in many European markets, governments are offering attractive incentives and subsidies to make it easier for homeowners to replace their old heating systems running on oil and gas or other polluting fossil fuels. Daikin is consolidating its leading position in the heat pump market, both by investing in the expansion of production capacities and by continuously extending its portfolio of heat pump systems. In fact, our new brand campaign, Exactly the way you like it, focuses on individual needs for home comfort in terms of heating, cooling, indoor fresh air and domestic hot water preparation”, underlines Daniel Vasile, Managing Director of Daikin Romania.

The heat pump market, which grew constantly between 2010 and 2020, accelerated with the introduction of the Green Deal and the REPowerEU plan, reaching 1.6 million installed units in 2022. The increasing trend will continue in the coming years, point out Daikin experts, who estimate that 14 million units will be installed in Europe by 2030, of which about 10 million will be air-to-water. This means that 7 out of 10 homes in Europe will be equipped with a heat pump, compared with 2 out of 10 today, most of them air-to-water. Romania is in line with growth trends, with tripled sales in the last year.

Daikin, the market leader in heat pump technology, has installed 1.2 million hydronic heat pumps in Europe from 2006 to date and is supporting accelerated market growth through continuous investment in manufacturing capabilities and innovative products. Therefore, with over 90 years of experience in the design and manufacture of innovative heating and cooling technologies, the company is expanding the portfolio with Altherma 3 R MT, designed specifically for renovation projects. Among many other advanced features, the newest alternative to replace the old heating system from Daikin’s heat pump portfolio can be connected to existing radiators, underfloor heating, a compatible hot water tank or even solar panels.

An efficiency comparison by Daikin shows that the recently launched Daikin Altherma 3 R MT heat pump is three to four times more powerful than a gas or wood-fired boiler.

*The above calculations are based on the seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of 3.43 of the heat pumps for average climatic conditions with a water outlet temperature of 55°C and a gas/wood fired boiler efficiency of 93%. The actual value of the SCOP coefficient may vary depending on the outdoor temperature and the temperature of the thermal medium. Therefore, a more accurate calculation of the annual energy consumption should always be carried out by a specialist, e.g. Daikin or one of its partners.

More information is available on the Daikin Home Solutions hub and on the Daikin Altherma 3 R MT page.

The GfK survey regarding the buying and decision making behaviour of preferred heating systems of homeowners and those planning a purchase/renovation in the near future was conducted in May 2023 on a sample of 1,000 respondents in each country – in Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary. The majority of respondents live in families with two to four members, have higher education and are in higher income ranges.

About DAIKIN Airconditioning Central Europe

Daikin Airconditioning Central Europe was founded in 1999, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, as a subsidiary of Daikin Europe N.V. The company’s portfolio includes products and solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration. More than 700 employees and 2,500 partners are responsible for sales and service activities in 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe (Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia). With „Your Daikin World” at the headquarters in Vienna, the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry and the construction sector have access to a modern experience centre for creating customised solutions for hotels, commercial premises, offices and large commercial applications. It also includes one of nine training centres in the Daikin Central Europe region.