ElKaWe – Electrocaloric heat pumps

In the lighthouse project »ElKaWe«, six Fraunhofer Institutes under the direction of Fraunhofer IPM are working on the development of electrocaloric heat pumps for heating and cooling. Today, heat pumps work almost exclusively based on compressor technology. Electric caloric heat pumps promise significantly higher efficiency and do not require harmful refrigerants. As part of the project, the scientists are developing ceramic and polymer-based electrocaloric materials and are working on an innovative system concept that enables particularly efficient heat dissipation.