# Heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration: Relationships

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/links/

Every element and industry that Heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration is linked to, and how. Each pair has its own card explaining the relationships between the two.

- [Copper](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/copper-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Air conditioners, heat pumps and fridges move heat through copper tubes and coils and run on copper-wound compressor motors, so copper was put at about 20 to 30% of the cost of making an air conditioner (Chinese estimate, 2021); when copper is dear, makers shift heat exchangers to aluminium. *(researched)*
- [Data centres](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/data-centres-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Almost every watt a server draws becomes heat, so cooling machinery (chillers, compressors and air handlers) uses a large share of a data centre's power: 30 to 55% of energy by some estimates. As data centre demand heads towards about 945 TWh by 2030, cooling efficiency and the reuse of waste heat through heat pumps become central to both industries. *(researched)*
- [Energy in buildings](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/energy-in-buildings-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Heat pumps, air conditioners and fridges are how buildings turn electricity into heating and cooling, and cooling is now a main driver of electricity peaks in hot countries such as India. The efficiency of the machines sold today largely decides future building power demand. *(researched)*
- [Food and beverage processing](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/food-and-beverage-processing-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Refrigeration is what lets perishable food be stored, processed and shipped, so the food industry is a major user of compressor cooling, and the same compressor technology, run as a heat pump, is becoming a way to supply the low-temperature process heat that food plants use. *(researched)*
- [Building heat recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/building-heat-recovery-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration to building heat recovery; energy flows from building heat recovery to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [District heating and cooling networks](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/district-heating-and-cooling-networks-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from district heating and cooling networks to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration; energy flows from heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration to district heating and cooling networks.
- [Fluorochemicals and refrigerants](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/fluorochemicals-and-refrigerants-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration needs fluorochemicals and refrigerants; their prices have moved together.
- [Geothermal direct use and ground-source heat pumps](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/geothermal-direct-use-and-ground-source-heat-pumps-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from geothermal direct use and ground-source heat pumps to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration; their prices have moved together.
- [Ambient heat](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/ambient-heat-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from ambient heat to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Boilers, furnaces and stoves](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/boilers-furnaces-and-stoves-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Computers and electronics](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/computers-and-electronics-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Computers and electronics depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Construction and infrastructure](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/construction-and-infrastructure-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Construction and infrastructure depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Data centres and cloud](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/data-centres-and-cloud-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Data centres and cloud depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Demand response and vehicle-to-grid](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/demand-response-and-vehicle-to-grid-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from demand response and vehicle-to-grid to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Distribution grids, mini-grids and interconnectors](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/distribution-grids-mini-grids-and-interconnectors-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from distribution grids, mini-grids and interconnectors to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Education and research](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/education-and-research-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Education and research depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Electric heating](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/electric-heating-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Energy in farming](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/energy-in-farming-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration to energy in farming.
- [Energy-intensive industry](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/energy-intensive-industry-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Energy flows from heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration to energy-intensive industry.
- [Healthcare services](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/healthcare-services-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Healthcare services depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Heat exchangers and pinch integration](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-exchangers-and-pinch-integration-and-heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Heat-transfer fluids and heat pipes](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-heat-transfer-fluids-and-heat-pipes/): Energy flows from heat-transfer fluids and heat pipes to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Hospitality and tourism](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-hospitality-and-tourism/): Hospitality and tourism depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Hydrofluoric acid](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-hydrofluoric-acid/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Industrial heat pumps and vapour recompression](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-industrial-heat-pumps-and-vapour-recompression/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Latent heat and cold storage](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-latent-heat-and-cold-storage/): Energy flows from heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration to latent heat and cold storage.
- [Media and entertainment](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-media-and-entertainment/): Media and entertainment depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Medical devices](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-medical-devices/): Medical devices depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Natural gas](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-natural-gas/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Natural reservoirs](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-natural-reservoirs/): Energy flows from natural reservoirs to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Pharmaceuticals](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-pharmaceuticals/): Pharmaceuticals depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Polyurethanes (MDI, TDI, polyols)](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-polyurethanes-mdi-tdi-polyols/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Professional services](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-professional-services/): Professional services depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Real estate](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-real-estate/): Real estate depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Semiconductors](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-semiconductors/): Semiconductors depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Shared and district heat reuse](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-shared-and-district-heat-reuse/): Energy flows from shared and district heat reuse to heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Software and IT services](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-software-and-it-services/): Software and IT services depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
- [Steel](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-steel/): Their prices have moved together.
- [Wholesale and retail trade](https://www.materialinsights.org/links/heat-pumps-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-and-wholesale-and-retail-trade/): Wholesale and retail trade depends on heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and limits](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/science/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/valuechain/index.md)
- [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/economics/index.md)
- [Engineering methods](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/methods/index.md)
- [Equipment and suppliers](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/equipment/index.md)