Technologies

Heat Pump

Heating and Cooling

Citation Formats

General Reference

Energy Atlas. "Heat Pump." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://energy.interactiveatlas.org/technologies/heat-pump.

APA Style

Energy Atlas. (n.d.). Heat Pump. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://energy.interactiveatlas.org/technologies/heat-pump

BibTeX

@misc{energyatlas-heat-pump,
  author = {Energy Atlas},
  title = {Heat Pump},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://energy.interactiveatlas.org/technologies/heat-pump},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

A machine that moves heat from a colder place to a warmer one using the refrigeration cycle, delivering several units of heat for each unit of electricity consumed. Running in one direction it heats buildings and water, in the other it cools them, and because of that multiplying effect energy agencies rank the heat pump as the central technology for decarbonizing building heat.

Facts

Disputed

Invented Year

1855 2

Lord Kelvin described the underlying theory in 1852; Peter von Rittinger built the first working heat pump in 1855 to 1857.

Technology Type

Heating and cooling 1

Sources

1. International Energy Agency Official Site

International Energy AgencyView the Source

2. Wikipedia

Wikimedia FoundationHistory

Quote, History

Peter von Rittinger develops and builds the first heat pump.

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