Analysis of heat pump market in Russia. Prospects of application of combined system for small buildings

Abstract

Heat pump (HP) market in Russia is still in its infancy, in contrast to those of European countries, where a renewable energy becomes one of the main sources of a human life on a daily use basis. According to the European Association for HP (EHPA), in 2015, Europe has sold over 880 thousand HPs. Meanwhile, new natural refrigerants open an avenue for the use HPs even at low temperatures in winter. As a result, nowadays there is a growing interest to modern HP systems in Russia, where these systems might create a serious competition to traditional heating systems such as gas and/or petroleum. Combining HP with other equipment, operating with alternative energy sources (solar energy), and one could reduce a consumption power of HP, thereby reducing an investment cost. In fact, the use of solar thermal collectors with photovoltaic systems (PV) would significantly reduce the cost of grid electricity, providing as well the electricity for HP operation.