Heat pumps are a core component of plans for climate-neutral energy and heating in the future, and the technology is increasingly replacing fossil fuel-powered heating systems around the world. And heat pumps using groundwater and soil as heat sources generate on average 3.9 times as much heat," Miara told DW, adding that systems in new buildings are generally more efficient. "Heat pumps in older buildings that use air as a heat source generate an average of around 3 kilowatt-hours of heat from 1 kilowatt of electricity. "We examined 60 heat pump systems in older buildings in Germany," says Marek Miara, a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg. Heat pumps need electricity as their operating energy, and how well they perform depends mainly on the heat source. The heat pump takes energy from the ground, groundwater or air. In theory, a heat pump works like a refrigerator - within a closed, multistage system, heat is generated in a compressor, while cool air is created in an evaporator.Ī liquid coolant extracts heat from the environment to warm buildings or water. Read more: An energy-efficient house in South Tyrol Ambient energy from the ground can also be harnessed with the help of heat pumps. Another share will come from heating pipelines serving the city's districts, where warmth will be created by burning waste and wood, or through waste heat from data centers. Solar panels on the roofs of Frankfurt's buildings will generate some of the city's thermal energy. With help from scientists, the city has drawn up a master plan that includes passive houses and energy-efficient refurbishments on older structures. In order to reach that goal, the financial hub is relying on a range of technologies, says Paul Fay from the city's energy department, who is coordinating the transition. The German city of Frankfurt is aiming to become climate neutral by 2050. These passive houses in Frankfurt use solar power and heat pumps to provide climate-friendly heating all year round The use of wood or wooden pellets is another way of meeting the heating needs of individual buildings, Feist says, adding however that this is "not a sensible option" for entire cities or industries because it's not sustainable and would create excessive demand for biomass. Read more: Cologne and Dortmund lead charge for German smart cities "I see district heating with renewable energies, and heating with ambient heat and heat pumps as important sources here," he says. And this combination can vary, depending on the region, says Feist, who is a professor of physics and a pioneer of efficient construction methods. The remaining demand could then be met with a mix of renewable energies. "With good insulation and ventilation systems, it's possible to achieve energy savings - compared to conventional buildings - of 80-90% in new buildings and 75-80% through energy-efficient renovation in old buildings." "Buildings can be powered in a climate-neutral way, and that's possible worldwide with renewable energies," he told DW, adding that a crucial factor is to make buildings more efficient so no energy is wasted. But that's something we can change, says Wolfgang Feist, founder of the Passive House Institute in the western German city of Darmstadt. Heating with coal, oil and natural gas accounts for around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.
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