Heating startup launches commercial heat pumps across Europe

Swedish heat pump specialist Aira launched its first products to the European public today.

The rapidly growing firm snapped up Sheffield’s All Seasons Energy last summer to create its UK base, including an academy to train gas fitters in fitting its heat pumps. Matt Isherwood, Aira’s UK operations director, said it had since doubled its space in Sheffield by acquiring a neighbouring unit.

“The academy is well under way,” he said. “It is taking people to train as we speak. ” He also said the firm was progressing with its plans to hire 100 extra staff in Sheffield. “We’ve got a number of installed teams, expert surveyors, designers, and support teams all working at Sheffield at the moment the progress has been really good.”

Aira, founded by Swedish sustainable investment firm Vargas last June, raised 1bn Swedish Krona (£76m) in equity funding in October and a further €145m (£114m) in Series B funding in January. It has announced plans to invest £300m in the UK market in an attempt to move 1m British homes from gas heating within the next decade.

Outside Scandinavia, where heat pumps have been used for decades and are required in newbuild homes, Aira chief executive Martin Lewerth said few homes  used heat pumps, which he said were an ideal way to reduce energy bills and CO2 emissions.

“We’re talking about single digit numbers,” he said of the proportion of homes with heat pumps. “In the UK, 1%. In Germany and Italy between 3% and 5%. That is how it looks across Europe.”

In Sweden, where around 60% of homes had heat pumps, residential heating accounted for only 1% of CO2 emissions, the firm said. across Europe, residential heating accounts for 10% of emissions.

Lewerth added, ” “The launch of our new Aira Heat Pump marks a key milestone in Aira’s journey to serve five million customers across Europe over the next decade. Through this, we are helping more households unlock significant savings and reduce carbon emissions – all whilst adding value to their home with a state-of-the-art heat pump. Heat pumps have been around in Scandinavia for decades and we are excited to bring contemporary heat pump design and technology to wider Europe. The time to switch is now, because a warm home shouldn’t cost the earth.”