Heat pump is increasingly popular in new construction | local

These figures relate to new homes for which an application for an environmental permit was submitted in 2021. This shows that in less than half of cases (48 percent) a heat pump will be installed when the home is built. A year ago that was less than one in three. Anyone with a heat pump installed almost always also chooses solar panels. Other renewable energy technologies, such as solar boilers, are rarely chosen.

“The heat pump has undoubtedly achieved a boom in new construction since the application year 2021,” says VEKA in a press release. Sales figures prove this too: according to the Association of Thermal Technology of Belgium (ATTB), around 50,500 heat pumps were sold in Belgium in 2023, two-thirds more than in 2022. Their success comes at the expense of gas condensation. Boilers. VEKA expects heat pumps to become more common in new construction in the coming years, as natural gas connections become increasingly stringent. These are already prohibited for larger projects; Starting in 2025, natural gas delivery (and thus natural gas heating) will be prohibited in all new buildings.

VEKA also points out that in two out of three cases, anyone installing a heat pump in new construction will choose an air-water heat pump (which can be identified by the air conditioning unit outside). A third party has a geothermal heat pump (with drill hole) installed. Installing a heat pump can also be a good idea in existing homes, but it's not always right away. VEKA has developed a website for this purpose. Owners can check whether it is actually possible to heat their house or apartment sustainably with a heat pump, or whether they first need additional insulation.