In the development history of the energy field, the emergence of air energy heat pump technology can be regarded as a major breakthrough.
In 1824, the "Carnot Cycle" theory proposed in the paper published by the French scientist Carnot laid the foundation for this innovative technology. In 1850, the British scientist Kelvin further pointed out based on the Carnot theory that refrigeration devices had potential in heating.
In 1912, the successful installation of the world's first heat pump equipment using a river as a low heat source in Zurich, Switzerland marked the beginning of the process of heat pump technology moving from theory to practical application. From the 1940s to the 1950s, household and industrial heat pumps began to emerge in the market.
The energy crisis in the 1970s brought heat pump technology to the attention of many European countries and international organizations. A series of research and development plans and investments promoted the rapid development of heat pump technology. Entering the 21st century, European countries have continuously increased their research and development efforts on heat pump technology, making it one of the most promising and valuable new energy technologies.
In Europe, as early as the 1950s, some countries began to mass-produce air energy heat pumps. Especially during periods of relatively tight energy supply, air energy heat pumps have been widely used in the household and industrial fields due to their high efficiency and energy-saving features.
In Asia, specifically in China, the air energy heat pump industry started relatively late. Air energy water heaters only began to enter the market in 2002, and the development was relatively slow in the following years. However, in recent years, with technological progress and policy support, China's air energy heat pump industry has also achieved significant development.
In recent years, with the increasingly severe environmental problems, especially the emergence of issues such as smog, the development of air source heat pumps has received high attention globally. On February 12, 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission of China included air source heat pump technology in the 2017 National Key Energy-Saving and Low-Carbon Technology Promotion Catalogue, demonstrating the global emphasis and promotion of this technology.
Today, with continuous technological innovation, the emergence of ultra-low-temperature air source hot water heat pumps has provided feasible solutions for a wider range of regions. The application fields of air energy heat pumps now cover residential heating, large-scale building heating, waste heat recovery, drying processes, agriculture, industry and commerce, and daily life, among many others.