Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISEMeaurement Campaigns
Floating energy-plus building in the German town of Kalkar.
Metrological tests on a large number of heat pumps in real-world conditions provide information on the current performance of this technology. Fraunhofer ISE possesses tools and expertise covering the entire monitoring process and performs measurements in Germany and abroad. This knowhow has been developed, tested and continuously augmented in the course of many projects spanning the last 15 years. Over 300 electric heat pumps in new and existing single-family houses have already been tested, as well as installations in multi-family dwellings.
Our primary aim is to analyze and optimize the efficiency of heat pumps in real-life operation. Alongside straightforward energy analyses, specific tasks such as fault detection and noise measurement can also be carried out. Detailed analyses of measurement data are used to develop improvement strategies which are then passed on to manufacturers, planners and installers, as well as to lawmakers and operators of heat pump systems.
While the efficiency of a heat pump is optimized by the manufacturer, the seasonal performance factor is largely dependent on the installation and commissioning of the equipment. Any faults which appear during this phase can be detected in our field tests, which provide a crucial basis for simplifying the systems for installers. Other key research topics for a successful energy transition are the identification of suitable heat pump applications for existing buildings, load management using heat pumps, and bivalent (hybrid) systems.
