The International Energy Agency has released a technical note proposing a common taxonomy to improve reporting on heat pumps used as primary heating equipment in buildings. The document highlights that 'data on heat pump installations remains fragmented and inconsistent across regions', limiting the ability to assess their contribution to thermal demand in the building sector.

The report emphasises that heat pumps are a key technology for heating and cooling in residential and non‑residential buildings, directly influencing energy consumption in the construction sector. According to the IEA, these predominantly electric systems can 'diversify the energy mix, enhance efficiency and enable the use of local energy sources that would otherwise be wasted'.

The taxonomy organises equipment according to application sector, energy source, thermal source and sink, and product type. It also sets out five initial actions to support alignment: accounting for reversible air‑to‑air units, including hybrid and non‑electric systems, introducing capacity‑based reporting, piloting the framework with national associations, and progressively expanding its scope to other sectors.