8 things to do for a better future in heat pumps - What are YOU waiting for?

Two weeks ago, 15 member states called for the publication of the EU Heat Pump action plan.

No, I’m not going to complain about this again. Not much anyway 😉.

Does the heat pump industry desperately need to get some support to level the playing field against cheap subsidized fossil fuel alternatives?

The sector could certainly benefit from such support, especially since most major manufacturers have committed to capacity increases and R&D investments over the last couple of years – just as we did.

But would I call it desperation? No, I’d say the feeling is more akin to confusion 😵, disappointment 😔 and utter disbelief 😲.

This is a competitive industry with many years of history and innovation, keeping thousands of skilled manufacturing and R&D jobs within the EU 💪 💪 💪.

This same industry has heavily invested in capacity and innovation 🦾 🦾 🦾 at the request of the EU.

The same industry that is trying to help the EU meet its own sustainability goals 😣.

The EU Heat Pump action plan is meant to clarify the details of how heat pumps are to fit into the heating strategy for EU member states.

However, it has been postponed for no logical reason until after the EU elections.

The EHPA, its members (including us) and these 15 member states have (repeatedly) clarified their position. There’s not much else we can do but be persistent.

Or is there? 🤔

We can be persistent while doing other things, right?

Like what you may ask?

Well, we can’t change everything, but we need to accept this and find the courage to change the things that we can.

Peter Drucker once said “The best way to predict the future is to create it."

 The best way to predict the future is to create it."

He was bang-on right. And so was Benjamin Frankin when he said "Lost time is never found again."

Lost time is never found again."

So (while we’re still waiting 😴), what can we do to help our sector before we’re scrambling to keep up with the market demand again? What can we improve for the best?

1) First, let’s focus on raising the bar on installation skills, standards, and performance.

Although there are many installers that are truly top-notch and setting the bar high, making us all proud to be part of heat pump history, there are some that are lagging in skills and the motivation to improve.

As with many other professions, there is no bright future for the uncompetitive.

There is a strong push for upskilling in the heat pump space and if you have doubts about your skills as an installer join up and become the best version of your professional self!

2) Let’s improve product quality even more

Heat pumps have a great reputation for longevity with product lifespans lasting more than 25 years in some cases. Some of our first heat pumps built over 30 years ago are still in operation.

So, why should we be concerned about quality?

Well, the idea is to ensure consistent longevity across the board for all product types and units.

If we could guarantee lengthier warranties for all products due to more consistent component performance and reliability wouldn’t that make heat pumps even more attractive?

Quality can come from innovation in design but can also come from constantly improved workflows.

3) Invest in R&D and innovation

Heat pumps are getting better and better.

The same Japanese approach to iterative product quality improvements can be applied to how we ship product features.

We’re constantly improving all products across the board, not just to ensure our competitive relevance but to further the value our customers receive from our investments in developing improvements and new features.

4) Build a realistic awareness of the advantages of heat pumps

Very few countries are saturated with heat pumps.

The vast majority of consumers are unaware of heat pump benefits, how they work and why they should prefer them over other alternatives. In some cases people are even unaware of the existence of heat pumps.

Let’s change that, but let’s keep expectations realistic. Let’s under-promise and over-deliver. That’s how people get excited and spread the word 🏆.

In ten years time everyone will know what a heat pump is, and they will be a leading consumer choice. Let’s try to play a greater educational role in order to get there faster.

5) Increase production capacity to match growing demand

As manufacturers, we need to (cautiously) invest in capacity.

As demand for heat pumps grows, it will do so at a faster pace.

Let’s try to provide for the growing demand in our European markets. I know many manufacturers have done so at the EU’s request, and so have we, nevertheless, it is a point worth making.

6) Make heat pumps more affordable

If we become more efficient at heat pump manufacturing through greater economies of scale, our costs will drop and so will the unit prices in the market (due to a temporary oversupply).

The drop in prices is bound to increase demand further, so we can keep upscaling as demand does too.

We should also try to reduce costs through innovation in product design.

Where the greatest opportunity to reduce costs for consumers is in the installation itself. Product design features that allow for a faster, easier, or more efficient installation process will really help.

7) Installers – familiarize yourself with more Heat Pump products.

If you’re an installer, the more products you are familiar with the greater help you can be of to your clients.

If you’re not very experienced in working with heat pumps, perhaps you can start by learning about Domestic Hot Water heat pumps which can offer great savings on water heating bills while not requiring much in terms of technical knowledge to install. If you’d like to find out more about our products just reach out to me or leave a comment below.

8) Explore partnerships

Partnerships take time to build 🤝.

Trust must be earned and only time and experience can help with this.

Whenever you have downtime, exploring partnerships is a good way to discover new techniques, products, solutions and better ways of doing things.

There you have it! If you can think of any other ways to take advantage of the time we have while waiting for the EU to take action, please do share!

Stay cool and toasty! 😎👌🔥