Heat pumps are being used in more and more new residential buildings. This environmentally friendly alternative to oil and gas heating is mainly installed in single and two-family homes.
In Germany, new buildings are predominantly heated with heat pumps. Last year, the electricity-powered devices were installed in almost two-thirds (64.6 percent) of the 96,800 completed residential buildings, the Federal Statistical Office announced today. Compared to 2022, this represents an increase of eight percentage points.
The second most important primary source for new buildings completed last year was gas, which was used in 20.1 percent of buildings. That is only half as many as ten years ago. 8.2 percent of buildings built last year are heated with district heating. Oil heating systems hardly play a role anymore, having been installed in just 300 buildings, which corresponds to a share of 0.3 percent.
Renewable energies are also used as a supplementary energy source in new buildings, for example with a wood stove. Whether as a primary or secondary source – overall, renewable energies are used for heating in four out of five new residential buildings (79.6 percent).
Production record in the first quarter of 2023
“The increasing use of heat pumps in new buildings is also reflected in production,” the statisticians emphasized: In 2023, a good 400,100 heat pumps were manufactured in Germany – 14 percent more than in the previous year with just under 350,900 units.
“However, after a significant increase in some areas, production of heating devices has recently declined, especially in 2022,” it said. In the fourth quarter of 2023, around 54,400 heat pumps were still produced in Germany, 41.4 percent less than in the previous quarter. This is the lowest number since the second quarter of 2021.