DE
EN
Vaillant Group
Modernising with heat pumps
2/2 Refrigerant, Modernization & Production
Heat pump with R290
The refrigerant is key
Older buildings usually have a higher energy demand. A house that was constructed several decades ago has a weaker insulation of the roof, cellar ceilings, doors and windows, often way below today’s standards. And when it came to heating technology, the only question at the time of the house’s construction was: would you rather heat with gas or with oil? Today, this usually means that the heat pump must replace a gas or oil heating system and the heat is delivered to the rooms via conventional radiators. The required flow temperatures are therefore higher.
Natural refrigerant enables higher temperatures
Refrigerants are liquids that can store, transport and release thermal energy. In order to use a heat pump in modernisation, the highest possible flow temperatures are desirable. That is why the Vaillant Group employs the refrigerant R290 for the heat pumps Vaillant aroTHERM plus and Saunier Duval GeniaAir. This is because R290 has special thermodynamic properties that enable higher flow temperatures and therefore make it possible to use the air/water heat pumps with radiators without any problems. There is also a second advantage: R290 is a natural refrigerant and environmentally friendly. This is measured in terms of global warming potential (GWP). The value of R290 is 3. With other refrigerants, this figure can be over 2,000. R290 does not contain PFAS chemicals or climate-damaging substances based on fluorocarbons.
Without additional knowledge of installation and maintenance
The Vaillant Group makes sure that the installation of heat pumps is as uncomplicated as can be for partners in the trade. Handling the refrigerant R290 does not require any special training. The refrigeration circuit is a closed system. No refrigeration certificate is required for installation and maintenance of the heat pump.
Vaillant Group
Suitable more often than expected
How many houses are fit for heat pumps - the example of Germany
Up to now, there has been little information about how great the modernisation potential is in Germany for older detached and terraced houses with regard to the use of heat pumps. To better assess this, Vaillant has carried out a market evaluation based on statistical data and published studies. The classification of buildings by age and type is based on energy consumption and building technology aspects.
A grouping is made into so-called “Hausonas”. A distinction is drawn between non-core-renovated detached houses built up to the end of the 1970s, from 1980 onwards and from 1990 onwards. A further category consists of core-renovated detached houses and those built from 2002 onwards. The last group consists of non-corerenovated terraced houses of any vintage.
In buildings that were constructed after 1990, a heat pump can usually be installed without replacing radiators or taking measures to insulate the building. In many older buildings, it is advisable to replace the radiators and insulate the building’s outer shell when adding a heat pump.
Support for HVAC partners
The know-how of installers and their communication with manufacturers play an important role in assessing whether a heat pump is suitable for modernising a house. Vaillant therefore provides trade partners and customers with information in the form of guidelines and calculation tools. The Hausonas are meant to provide an overview for the initial classification of the property.
Vaillant Group
Meeting the demand
Expansion of Vaillant Group heat pump production
The heat pump business is a strategic priority for the Vaillant Group. Annual sales increases amount to more than 50 per cent. To gain further market share, investments are flowing into the expansion of production in several countries at once. In the company’s international manufacturing network, the production volume of heat pumps increased many times over between 2010 and 2020. And within the next five years, capacities will continue to grow massively.
Gradual expansion
Heat pump lines have already existed at the German plant in Remscheid since 2018. Here, the proximity to the research and development centre, the Johann Vaillant Technology Center, is advantageous: synergies are created through the interaction between development and production. Several new production lines have also been commissioned at the French site in Nantes. At the British Belper plant, additional production capacities are currently being created for the market in Britain. Plans for further expansion are already under way.
Heat pump specialists
The Vaillant Group is not only expanding its technical capacities in heat pump production – but also the skill sets of production employees. After all, they need to be highly trained for the manufacture of the exceptionally efficient technology. Work on the refrigeration circuit requires specialist knowledge and specific qualifications. The production team therefore attends training courses lasting several weeks and regular workshops.
- © 2025 Vaillant Group