Evaluating the Environmental Impact for a Small Apartment: Using Traditional Wall-mounted Gas Convector vs. Transitioning to Heat Pump

Abstract

The replacement of old, fossil fuel-based heating systems is of paramount importance. In households of the European Union, space heating accounts for the largest share of final energy consumption, making the method of heat production critical. Various studies estimate that approximately 120 million buildings in the EU require some form of refurbishment, either passive or active, to comply with the latest energy performance directives. Existing regulations focus primarily on efficiency and aim to reduce heat losses, suggesting the replacement of outdated systems and the upgrading of building envelopes. However, they rarely consider the environmental impact of other life cycle stages except use stage of the newly installed building elements. This situation may escalate to the point where considering the whole life cycle of an improvement or replacement is no longer justified solely by emissions and energy use. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and its localized regulations in Hungary impose criteria that require the renovation of existing buildings, often making compliance achievable only through heating system replacements. Hence, this study investigates the background of heating system changes in a small traditional flat, assessing their benefits in terms of emissions and energy use over the full life cycle.