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German research institutes and industry partners are testing digital workflows and practical installation methods to speed up heat pump retrofits. The WESPE project aims to reduce installation times by up to 40%, but the source does not report a measured overall reduction or a rollout schedule.
Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), working with trade and industry partners, are testing digital tools and installation methods intended to speed up heat pump retrofits. The WESPE project aims to cut installation times by up to 40%, as heating contractors face a shortage of skilled workers; the source describes a target, not a verified reduction already achieved across installations.
Coordinated by the German Sanitation, Heating and Air Conditioning Association (ZVSHK), WESPE examines office and construction-site processes across the retrofit value chain. The work covers replacing oil- and gas-based heating systems with heat pumps, from assessing a property and communicating with customers to coordinating sites, ordering materials, installing equipment, commissioning systems and invoicing.
Project partners analyzed where work could be improved or digitized and built a web-based platform that brings guidance and resources for the different phases together. Its WESPE Check questionnaire lets installation businesses assess their processes and receive tailored suggestions, including digital or physical resources, organizational measures, tools and possible external services.
Fifteen specialist installation businesses are participating. They are documenting office workflows and work at 30 installation sites, while a time-tracking app records how long individual on-site tasks take. Researchers also recreated typical installation scenarios at an IBP innovation lab in Holzkirchen and tested components and procedures with contractors and industry representatives.
Where Faster Installs Could Help
Heat pump retrofits require coordination between planning, material procurement and work at a customer’s property. If practical improvements shorten those steps, contractors may be able to use limited skilled-worker time more efficiently and reduce delays for households seeking to replace older heating systems. The project also addresses the risk of errors that can accompany more complex heating-system requirements.
However, the stated up-to-40% reduction is a project aim. The report does not give a measured average saving, explain how the target is calculated, or establish that the tools are in routine use. The tests could identify useful approaches, but their effect across different homes, systems and businesses remains to be determined.
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How WESPE Tests Its Methods
The project is looking at both digital office work and physical installation tasks, rather than treating faster installation as a software-only problem. Fraunhofer ISE is studying ways to connect workflows and software used by office staff and technicians, while Fraunhofer IBP is testing installation solutions in a controlled but realistic setting.
At the Holzkirchen lab, researchers use two identical single-family homes as a research and demonstration platform, along with other test environments and a utility container. Trials have included prefabricated foundations, building penetrations, hydraulic solutions and pre-assembled components. The researchers say the tests have indicated that standardized components, pre-assembled units and improved processes can shorten work and improve efficiency; they do not provide a quantified result for any one measure.
A prototype called Heat Pump PlanAR explores another part of the process. The augmented-reality app is intended to bring several work steps into one tool. In a future version, it could generate preliminary plans and quotations quickly and automatically create cost-optimized piping for digitally represented heating components. The project report presents these as potential functions, not established performance results.
“The goal is to highlight practical options, tools and approaches that installation businesses can use to further develop their internal processes.”
— Susanne Schwab, researcher at Fraunhofer IBP
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Results Still Need Measurement
The project report does not state how much installation time has already been saved, whether the 40% target applies to a particular task or the full retrofit process, or what comparison baseline would be used. It also gives no completion date, deployment plan or information on how widely the platform and prototype app will be made available.
Further evidence is needed to establish whether results from the participating businesses and test settings carry over to a wider range of properties and contractors. The source does not quantify the costs of adopting the tools or say whether the app’s proposed planning and quotation functions are ready for commercial use.
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Further Trials and Tool Development
Researchers and participating installers are continuing to document workflows, measure task times and assess field tests. The project partners say findings are being used to refine components and processes for practical application. The next useful evidence will be reported measurements showing whether particular changes reduce installation time, and details on the readiness and availability of the digital platform and Heat Pump PlanAR.
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Key Questions
What is the WESPE project?
WESPE is a German research project coordinated by ZVSHK. Fraunhofer IBP, Fraunhofer ISE and project partners are studying ways to improve heat pump retrofit workflows in offices and on installation sites.
Has WESPE already cut installation times by 40%?
No such measured result is reported. Up to 40% is the project’s aim; the source does not provide an achieved overall reduction or its calculation basis.
What tools are being developed?
The project has a web-based platform with guidance for different retrofit stages and a questionnaire that offers businesses tailored suggestions. It has also developed a prototype Heat Pump PlanAR augmented-reality app, with some planning and quotation functions described as possible future capabilities.
How are the installation methods being tested?
Fifteen specialist installation businesses are documenting workflows at their offices and at 30 installation sites. Researchers also test components and procedures in a Holzkirchen innovation lab designed to recreate typical installation conditions.
When will the tools be available to all installers?
The report gives no public release date or broad rollout plan for the platform or the prototype app. Their availability beyond the project participants remains unclear.
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