How exactly does a heat pump work?
Put simply, it uses electricity to raise the temperature of a low-temperature heat source to a higher, more usable level. This is how considerably more heat can be generated with the same amount of electricity than by the direct conversion of electrical energy into heat, as is the case with electric heating. The heat can then be used directly on-site or stored if needed, or it can be distributed via a heating network. If the electricity used to operate the heat pump comes from renewable sources, the heat is generated in a completely carbon-neutral way, because no fossil fuels like coal, oil, or gas were used.
The way large industrial heat pumps work is essentially the same as the models used in homes. They work in a similar way to refrigerators, although unlike refrigerators, the aim is of course to generate heat rather than cold. They can extract heat from a heat source and raise it to a higher level using a compressor, condenser, evaporator and a special refrigerant.
