In a context of inflation and sharp increases in gas prices, the heat pump ranks first for personal energy as a preferred alternative to fossil fuels. Especially since France wants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and install one million by 2027 according to a national action plan announced in 2024. But already, we must make a choice between air-air heat pumps and those operating with air-water.
“ These are therefore a system which produces water to supply the radiators and are capable of directly replacing a fossil boiler using an existing network of radiatorsexplains Céline Laruelle, energy systems engineer at ADEME. And are affected by public aid “. Air-air heat pumps operate more like reversible air conditioning and dominate sales, 71% of market share according to a note from ADEME. Perceived as less comfortable and from the Asian market, they are not affected by government aid.
Decarbonization and electricity
Its main asset? Its performance: “ On average, it is 3 to 4 times more effective than a gas boiler or an electric heaterreveals the expert. By switching to largely carbon-free electric energy in France, its installation makes it possible to divide CO2 emissions by 8 compared to gas, and by 10 compared to fuel oil. “. Concretely? It allows you to gain one or two DPE classes. Not to mention less dependence on gas and oil imports. Despite a high initial cost (twice as much as a conventional boiler), the energy bill linked to heating is divided by two on average compared to gas, “ with a return on investment between five and eight years “.
But be careful, not everything will be perfect in your relationship with your heat pump because it is expensive and takes up spaceyou have to know that. “ Inside for the hot water production unit, provide the size of a large refrigeratorspecifies Céline Laruelle. Outside, it can generate noise and visual nuisance, which requires a suitable configuration (garden, terrace or cellar) “. A subject for collective housing. In addition to the installation cost, there is the annual maintenance of around 200 euros.
Pay attention to insulation
A good insulation is the ally of a heat pump, even if a poor thermal envelope does not prevent its proper functioning: “ We always recommend a minimum level of insulation or insulation gestures, precisely to reduce all the inconveniencesshe nuances. For a non-insulated house, we will prefer a more suitable implementationprobably larger and therefore more expensive, and noisier “. In the study, ADEME simulated the financial impact depending on the level of insulation for a 100 m² house. The first, with poor insulation, costs 1243 euros in electricity and maintenance, 2092 euros in gas (maintenance included). The other, with better insulation, costs only 482 euros for electricity and 1062 euros for gas.
Around a third of the installations included in the measurement campaign have performances that can be improved due to problems related to their installation and adjustmentincluding the correct temperature of the water sent to the radiators. Clearly, if the system is set to operate at low temperature, it consumes less. “ Improve the training of professionals is therefore essentialspecifies the engineer. We can also imagine devices to know if things are well adjusted with alerts in the event of too low performance. “.
