Energy company Ewii proposes that climate-friendly and power-consuming heat pumps be banned in areas where district heating is an option.
The proposal is based on the fact that the Danish electricity grid is worn out and pressured by the green transition.
So even though the electrification in the green transition is central, including heat pumps, the electricity grid must first be replaced if the electricity companies are to be able to keep up, says Lars Bonderup Bjørn, director of the electricity company Ewii. Ewii supplies, among other things, electricity, heat, and fiber in the triangle area.
Ewii proposes to turn down the electrification in some specific areas of the country.
– I believe that you should politically introduce a rule that if you live in an area with district heating, you should join it instead of getting a heat pump, Lars Bonderup Bjørn says to Avisen Danmark and continues:
– It will be a showdown with the free choice ideology we have in the area, but it will contribute to better energy planning and thus fewer crashes.
According to Statistics Denmark, heat pumps account for just under five percent of heating in Denmark, but the form of heating almost doubled from 2016 to 2021, helped by green subsidy schemes.
Good idea
The energy company’s proposal can make good sense, says Peter Sorknæs, associate professor of energy planning at Aalborg University. He sees advantages in using district heating instead of heat pumps for climate and economy.
– District heating is becoming increasingly climate-friendly, and it is cheaper in relation to the integration of renewable energy if we utilize and expand it. It is a better solution than heat pumps in many cases, says Peter Sorknæs to Avisen Danmark.
However, according to the associate professor, it still makes sense to use heat pumps in areas where district heating cannot pay off. These are typically lower populated areas, he explains.
Source: Ritzau / originally Avisen Danmark