How complicated are heat pumps in practical operation?

Inrush currents/peaks are always stressful for the grid. But I am concerned with the sum of all heat pumps. If they all ran 24 hours, the base load (or peak load in winter) would be much higher than a peak-causing heat pump, whose peaks never add up. We are talking here about heat pumps with mini peaks and not industrial plants...

No no, it doesn’t work like that. Heating load is heating load. And heat pumps use less electricity overall when they run as constantly as possible.

Formerly. For the traffic network, it also makes more sense if everyone drives to work at once and takes 3 hours for it, rather than if all of them individually need only 30 minutes each but are spread out over 3 hours. It was about the question why an ERR is prescribed and not what is most efficient for the heat pump operation.... :rolleyes: My explanation I did not make up myself, but comes from several EVUs. Or do you think that the German switch manufacturer mafia is behind it, wanting to sell the thermostats?! :eek:

This has long been common practice with heat pump tariffs?! That’s why my heat pump is connected to the house meter! ;-)

Well, I was talking about short-term grid interventions. At the lowest distribution level. Scenario: The on-off heat pump sends a signal via data link to the grid control center that it intends to start a heating cycle sometime in the next 15-30 minutes. The grid control sends a release signal at a favorable moment, for example when another load drops off. Or, second scenario, the neighbor Mr. Meyer presses the paid "turbo charging" button at the wallbox to quickly charge his Porsche Taycan. There is currently not enough capacity available in the grid section. So all modulating heat pumps are reduced to the lowest power level and maybe an on-off heat pump is temporarily switched off. This continues until capacity is free again or the Porsche is fully charged. *That* would be adaptive load control with heat pumps.

In Norway, they are already much further ahead than here. A friend recently showed me the app for the direct electricity heating of his holiday cabin there. He can see the daily electricity price curve (apparently with minute accuracy) and can define a threshold at which the heating switches on to maintain the target temperature. Or, alternatively, he inputs two days before arriving at the cabin the time by which the indoor temperature should reach the target value. Then the heating control optimizes the heating curve so that the accumulated electricity cost is the lowest. Here in Germany, it’s science fiction; there, it’s lived reality. Hard to believe...

That in turn relieves the power grid. And that is exactly the goal.

Uh, the heat pump usually draws maybe 400-800 watts continuous power. That doesn't relieve anything if it's not on.

Uh, the heat pump typically draws maybe 400-800 watts of continuous power. That doesn't relieve anything if it's not on.

1 million controllable heat pumps with that power, switched adaptively to ensure grid stability or modulated in their current power, would be a significantly noticeable tool.