The quality of statistical data provided from 13 European countries differ considerably. Only seven countries can provide (more or less) reliable statistics. However, these countries are representing approximately 80% of the national markets considered.
No official data from Southern Europe available at all.
Results
Total sales of space heating HPs: Around 208.000 units (including heat recovery and reversible HPs, excluding tap water only HPs). Approximately 3 Mio air-conditioners with heat pump function predominantly used for cooling purposes in Southern Europe are disregarded.
Increase of sales vs 2003 of the most important markets: more than 30% (see Table). During the last five years countries like Austria (136%) and Germany (120%) realized a remarkable market increase.
The market share of HPs on the heating markets differs considerably from country to country (e.g. for new buildings between around 8% in Germany and 80% in Sweden).
Sweden is clearly the dominating market: Over 100.000 units sold in 2004, 60% of them heating only HPs (mostly brine/water Hps; including heat recovery HPs) and 40% reversible HPs (air-source systems predominantly used for heating purposes). Exhaust air HPs are installed in more than 90% of all new single-family houses.
Heating only: Ground source HPs are the dominating systems in most countries.
Reversible HPs (air-source HPs predominantly used for heating purposes) are the dominating systems in Norway (90%), Finland (63%).
D-A-CH countries and NL: Obviously not yet a remarkable market for reversible HPs.
Conclusions
Joint efforts to improve reliability and completeness of data are required.
Main emphasis is to be placed on Southern European countries and information concerning stock of installed systems.
