Giant Heat Pumps in High Demand.

The demand for district heating is leading to a rush for bigger and beefier heat pump systems that can power entire towns. Heat pumps work by compressing gently warmed refrigerants to raise the temperature of these fluids. Heat pumps require electricity to work but can produce around three or four kilowatts of heat for every kilowatt of power they consume, making them highly efficient. MAN Energy's biggest commercial heat pump is thousands of times more powerful - with a total heating capacity of 48 megawatts (MW).