A resounding success

© NürnbergMesse

The international heat pump community has just enjoyed two days of top-notch knowledge sharing about current market developments, research and development topics, and trends in heat pump applications. 260 experts from 26 countries participated in the seventh European Heat Pump Summit – powered by Chillventa – from 26 to 27 October 2021. Along with 34 renowned speakers, they discussed innovative technologies in component production, uses for heat pumps in trade and industry, and questions about refrigerants and the use of hybrid systems and high-temperature heat pumps. In the accompanying Foyer Expo, 16 companies and associations presented their services and product innovations to the attending professional public. This year’s conference was also supplemented with digital components like a live stream and chat functions.

“We’re very pleased with the overwhelming commitment on the part of the heat pump community. I’d like to thank all the exhibitors, participants, speakers and journalists. It’s good to see that our Exhibition Centre Nuremberg is finally back to serving its function as a setting for first-class knowledge transfer and the European platform for a valuable professional exchanges on the highest level covering all aspects of heat pumps. Following turbulent times, the 260 participants from 26 countries confirmed the significance of the European Heat Pump Summit for international heat pump experts,” says Daniela Heinkel, Director European Heat Pump Summit and Chillventa at NürnbergMesse.

First-class congress program

Visitors from around the world were able to expand their knowledge thanks to 34 varied presentations distributed among the four main themes: market developments, R&D, development of components, heat pump applications. Program highlights included the report on the Heat Pump Conference in South Korea in April 2021; market and energy policy developments (German and international); completed, ongoing and planned research into technology and applications; the latest developments by industrial companies and research centres; hybrid systems; high-temperature heat pumps; and special applications in industry and commerce with specific use case examples from the food industry, data centres, metalworking, industrial drying and district heating. All presentations were also broadcast online as a live stream and will remain available to participants online until 5 November 2021.

Dr Rainer Jakobs, technical coordinator of the European Heat Pump Summit and Chillventa CONGRESS, summarises: “The first-class presentations dealt with all the latest topics in the heat pump industry, including science, development in the industry and technology, and their application. Knowledge transfer at the highest level in combination with intensive networking opportunities were once again the focus and provided genuine added value. An especially exciting presentation, for example, was given by Thomas Nowak, ehpa, on the development of heat pumps in Europe throughout the current decade, which was rivalled by the subsequent presentation by James Beal, UK DIT, on the activities of British companies. This year’s summit had a clear message: Heat pumps are taking off in single- and multi-family dwellings, in commerce and industry and in power supply. This was confirmed by the presentation given by Arianna Passamonti, Fraunhofer IGE, in which she described how heat pumps are being scientifically promoted with the help of generous funding from the government. The presentation by Rüdiger Rudischhauser, SRM/TEC Group, dealt with the possibility of effectively interconnecting cooling and heating based on the example of a meat-processing operation that made highly effective use of both aspects of the heat pump. The topic of multi-family dwellings was presented in detail several times and various solutions were offered. Dr Marek Miara, Fraunhofer ISE, who oversaw the IEA Annex on this topic, presented the overall situation and a wide range of examples that are extremely well documented in this Annex. On this topic, Bart Asperlagh from Daikin presented specific solutions from the manufacturer’s point of view. Both speakers and participants were extremely happy to come together once again on site in Nuremberg at the European Heat Pump Summit and talk shop face to face with their counterparts.”

Practical connections and new products at the Foyer Expo

The accompanying Foyer Expo offered attendees a chance to bridge the gap to practice. They were able to explore new products from major-name makers of components and heat pumps first-hand. The focus of exhibitors as well as associations and institutions from Germany and abroad was on professional dialogue and finding answers to individual questions.

Save the dates: Chillventa 2022 and European Heat Pump Summit 2023

The next Chillventa – the leading international fair for refrigeration technology and the world’s number-one central meeting place for all market players in the refrigeration, AC, ventilation and heat pump industries – will be held from 11 to 13 October 2022 at the exhibition centre. The Chillventa CONGRESS will already start on 10 October 2022, the day before the trade fair opens. Heat pump professionals will then reunite at the European Heat Pump Summit on 24 and 25 October 2023.