Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) has presented this week a new online app that helps homeowners verify the technical and economic feasibility of replacing gas boilers with electric heat pumps without modifying the hydraulic circuit or the radiators.
The open-access online tool, called PDC RISC, performs its analysis using annual fuel bills, building features, envelope characteristics, boiler and radiator specifications, and overall energy consumption.
“The tool is designed for inhabited residential buildings that have undergone energy retrofitting for at least one year, are equipped with an autonomous heating system and have a traditional boiler connected to radiators,” Enea said in a statement. “It will also provide information on the technical specifications of the photovoltaic system necessary to meet the heat pump's electricity demand.”
After the analysis is completed, users can download a report containing all the data and a list of recommended actions to improve the building’s energy efficiency if boiler replacement is not feasible at the time of measurement.
“Clearly, the tool provides general guidance and non-exhaustive suggestions on how to improve the energy performance of the system. For detailed planning of the intervention, it is always advisable to consult a qualified professional,” said Nicolandrea Calabrese, head of the Enea Laboratory for energy efficiency in buildings and urban development.
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