Space Heating and Cooling

Heating and cooling technologies have a major impact on national energy consumption and will continue to do so in the future. Space heating and cooling, along with water heating, account for the largest energy demand from households and more than 80% of the total consumption. The market of residential heating technologies is complex due to the different cultural, climatic and physical requirements. The technology options available on the national market include various types of fossil fuel-fired heating systems, biomass-based heating systems, heat pumps, solar thermal systems, hybrid systems as well as district heating systems using different primary energy supplies. Fossil fuel-fired heating systems (particularly natural gas-fired systems, either for single families or buildings) are very popular and currently represent more than 80% of the market. In terms of fuels, a general effort in the heating technology market is to shift away from oil and coal to move towards gas and electricity. This shift is driven by the high cost of fossil fuels and by the legislation which encourages the use of low-carbon fuels and technologies. Low-carbon and low- emission technologies such as gas-fired condensing boilers, heat pumps and hybrid systems are becoming increasingly common in Italy and Europe for both domestic and commercial applications, and this trend is expected to continue over the coming decade.