The Future of Heat Pumps in China

Schematic: Heat pump types and applications

Heat pump types and applications

Heat Pump Types And Applications Future Of Heat Pump In China
Heat pump taxonomy in this report

Heat pumps in buildings

This category includes heat pumps that deliver heat directly to households and residential or commercial buildings for space heating and/or domestic hot water provision. It includes natural source heat pumps, including reversible air conditioners used as primary heating equipment. It excludes reversible air conditioners used only for cooling, or used as a complement to other heating equipment, such as a boiler.

Typical size

Equipment

(electric-based heat pumps based on vapor compression)

Applicability

< 10 kW
  • Air-to-water heat pumps, including heat pump water heaters.
  • Air-to-air heat pumps, including reversible air conditioners used as a primary heating source.
  • Ground source and water source heat pumps.

Individual households, small residential and commercial buildings, individual rooms.

10-50 kW
  • Air-to-water heat pumps, including heat pump water heaters.
  • Air-to-air heat pumps.
  • Ground source and water source heat pumps.

Individual households, multi-family buildings and services buildings.

> 50 kW
  • Large-scale air-to-water heat pumps, including heat pump water heaters.
  • Large-scale air-to-air heat pumps.
  • Ground source and water source heat pumps.

Multi-family buildings and services buildings.

Heat pumps in district heating networks

This category includes heat pumps connected to district heat networks, including those in heat substations.

Typical size

Temperature range

Equipment

Applicability

> 100 kW

70 - 120  °C (primary)

40 - 60  °C (secondary)
  • Large-scale heat pumps, particularly to integrate waste heat.
  • Absorption heat pumps.

Temperature lift in the primary and secondary network.

Reduction of return temperature in the primary network.

Heat pumps in industry

This category includes heat pumps that deliver heat directly to an industrial process. It includes heat pumps with a temperature range of up to 200 °C, and excludes mechanical vapour recompression.

Temperature range

Equipment

Applicability

< 100 °C

Large-scale heat pumps, particularly to integrate waste heat.

Industrial processes such as pasteurisation, boiling or bio-reactions.

100 - 200 °C

Large-scale heat pumps, particularly to integrate waste heat.

Industrial processes such as drying, distillation or steam production.
Next Map and related table: Chinese climate zones