« Devis clair, sans surprise, primes comprises. Un seul interlocuteur du début à la fin. Je recommande sans hésiter pour le photovoltaïque. »
Pierre M.Tournai
Solar · The heat pump + PV duo
Heat pump + photovoltaics: the home that powers itself
The heat pump is a home’s biggest electrical load; solar panels produce precisely that — electricity. Pairing them means heating, cooling and warming your water with your own energy — and instantly lifting the returns of both the PV and the heat pump. A single point of contact, a system designed to power itself.
- +30–50%
- of self-consumption
- SCOP 4–5
- heat pump efficiency
- 4–6 kWp
- of PV recommended
The winning duoPV that powers the heat pump
Double grantheat pump + photovoltaics
Technical specs
What makes the heat pump + PV pairing work
The figures that matter when sizing and controlling a solar system paired with a heat pump. Concrete benchmarks, proven in the field in Belgium.
- Heat pump efficiency SCOP 4–5
An air-to-water heat pump returns 4 to 5 kWh of heat for 1 kWh of electricity consumed over the season. When that kWh comes from your panels, the heating cost tends towards zero during sunny hours.
- PV production 4–6 kWp
We slightly oversize the solar installation to cover the heat pump’s extra consumption: 4 to 6 kWp depending on the home. Count on ~950 kWh produced per kWp per year in Belgium.
- Self-consumption +30 to 50%
On its own, PV self-consumes at ~30%. By running the heat pump and the tank during sunny hours, you easily reach 50–70%: you consume the energy where you produce it, instead of injecting it cheaply.
- Smart control SG Ready
An SG Ready-compatible heat pump kicks in when the panels produce a surplus. Paired with home automation, it heats the tank or the building at the right moment, with no action from you.
- Battery (option) 5–10 kWh
A solar battery stores the day’s surplus to run the heat pump in the evening and at night. It shifts the energy towards heating hours and further cuts grid purchases.
- Hot water (DHW) 55–60 °C
The heat pump produces domestic hot water from your solar: we schedule the tank heating in the middle of the day, when production peaks. Solar thermal DHW often becomes unnecessary.
* Indicative values for a properly insulated Belgian single home. Actual performance depends on insulation, sizing, roof orientation and control — clarified at the survey stage.
In full transparency
Heat pump + PV: benefits & limits
The duo is one of the most profitable there is, but it has its conditions for success. Here, honestly, is where it excels and where you need to be careful.
Where it shines
- Returns multipliedSelf-consuming the biggest electrical load transforms the payback of both the PV and the heat pump.
- Near-free heating in summer and mid-seasonIn fine weather, the heat pump runs on the solar surplus: hot water and cooling with no bill.
- Double grant in BelgiumHeat pumps and photovoltaics each qualify for stackable regional support.
- Decarbonised, self-sufficient homeNo more fossil fuel, heavily reduced grid dependence, a rising property value.
What to keep in mind
- Winter / production mismatchIt’s in winter that you heat the most and the PV produces the least: the grid (and the battery) remain necessary.
- High upfront investmentTwo installations to finance at once; grants and returns amortise it over time.
- Control essentialWithout smart management (SG Ready, home automation), part of the synergy gain is lost.
- Prosumer tariff to factor inIn Wallonia, the prosumer tariff penalises injection: all the more reason to self-consume and size correctly.
For which project
Is the heat pump + PV duo right for you?
It comes into its own whenever you want to heat cleanly and get the most out of your panels. A few situations where it shines:
-
Whole-home energy renovation
You’re replacing an oil or gas boiler: a heat pump powered by PV is the most profitable combination to decarbonise the whole home.
-
High-performance new build
On a well-insulated house, the heat pump + PV pairing covers heating, DHW and cooling with minimal grid dependence.
-
You already have panels
Adding a heat pump to an existing PV installation raises self-consumption: your surplus injected at low prices finally serves to heat.
Still hesitating about just one of the two?
To understand the heat pump on its own, see the air-to-water heat pump. And to choose your solar modules, compare the panel types.
Glissez la poignée pour comparer
Real case · renovation, Gembloux
An oil boiler replaced by a heat pump powered by solar
The family already had 4 kWp of panels but injected most of their production to the grid at low prices. We installed an SG Ready air-to-water heat pump, added 2 kWp and a 7 kWh battery, then scheduled the tank and home heating during sunny hours. The result: oil disappears and self-consumption soars.
- 68%of self-consumption
- −€1,900of energy per year
- 0 Lof oil burned
Customer reviews
They chose wendows
5.0/5 · 1verified reviews
Compare the options
The duo, or a single piece of equipment?
Heat pumps and photovoltaics are already worth the investment separately, but it’s their pairing that changes the game. Compare point by point, then open the solution that interests you.
| Critère | Heat pump + PVVous êtes ici | Solar panels aloneVoir la gamme → | Air-to-water heat pump aloneVoir la gamme → |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-consumption | Very high (50–70%) | Low (~30%) | N/A (consumes) |
| Heating cost | Near zero in fine weather | Doesn’t heat | Low, but at grid rates |
| PV returns | Maximum (big load self-consumed) | Good, dragged down by injection | N/A |
| Investment | €€€ — two installations | €€ — scalable | €€ — depending on output |
| Grants available | Double: heat pump + PV | PV only | Heat pump only |
| Control required | SG Ready / home automation | None | Simple regulation |
| Ideal for | Whole-home decarbonised renovation | Cutting your electricity bill | Replacing a boiler |
Indicative benchmarks for a Belgian single home. The right sizing depends on your consumption, your roof and your prosumer tariff — we fine-tune it together at the survey stage.
- the heart of the duo
Air-to-water heat pump
The duo’s heat generator: high-efficiency heating and hot water (SCOP 4–5), ready to run on your solar.
Discover the air-to-water heat pump → - the source
Solar panel types
Monocrystalline, half-cell, yield per m²: choose the modules that will produce your heat pump’s electricity.
Compare the panels → - to combine
Solar battery
Store the day’s surplus to run the heat pump in the evening and at night. The key to self-consuming even more.
See the batteries → - to combine
Hybrid inverter
Controls PV, battery and consumption in one place: essential to orchestrate heating on the solar surplus.
Discover the hybrid → - budget
Heat pump grants
The detail of regional support for heat pumps, stackable with photovoltaic support. The double grant explained.
See heat pump grants → - ↑ category
All things solar
An overview of photovoltaics in Belgium: panels, inverters, batteries, grants and self-consumption on one page.
Back to the solar guide →
Indicative price 2026
How much does a heat pump + photovoltaics system cost?
The price depends on the solar output, the heat pump model, whether there’s a battery and the state of your installation. Here are benchmarks for equipment installed in Belgium, before grants.
Get an itemised combined study →* Indicative ranges for installed equipment, excluding specific configurations. Precise estimate and grants calculated at your free study.
- Air-to-water heat pump installed from €12,000SG Ready model for a single home
- 5 kWp PV installed from €7,500panels + inverter, installed
- 7 kWh battery from €6,000option, to shift towards the evening
- Double grant up to €8,000heat pump + PV combined, by region and income
Heat pump + photovoltaics FAQ
Your questions about the heat pump + PV pairing
Why pair a heat pump with solar panels? +
Because the heat pump is the home’s biggest electricity consumer and PV produces precisely that — electricity. By powering the heat pump with your panels, you self-consume your surplus instead of injecting it cheaply, which instantly improves the returns of both pieces of equipment. It’s the most efficient combination for clean heating in Belgium.
How many panels are needed to power a heat pump? +
We slightly oversize the installation compared with a standard PV to cover the heat pump’s extra consumption: usually 4 to 6 kWp depending on the home, the insulation and the heating need. The exact sizing is calculated from your actual consumption and the available roof area.
Are the panels enough to heat all year round? +
No, and that’s normal: in winter you heat the most while the PV produces the least. The grid remains necessary for the winter peak. In mid-season and summer, however, the heat pump runs largely on solar for hot water and cooling, which sharply reduces the annual bill.
Is a battery needed to make the duo work? +
It’s not mandatory, but a battery clearly increases the gain. It stores the surplus produced during the day to run the heat pump in the evening and at night, when you heat without sun. Without a battery, you schedule the tank and home heating during production hours via an SG Ready heat pump.
Does the prosumer tariff change the calculation? +
Yes, especially in Wallonia where the prosumer tariff taxes grid use for injection. This penalises selling back your surplus and makes self-consumption even more attractive. Pairing a heat pump with your PV is precisely the best way to consume your production on the spot rather than inject it.
Can you stack the heat pump and photovoltaic grants? +
Yes. In Belgium, heat pumps and photovoltaics fall under separate schemes and their regional grants are stackable, subject to performance and income conditions. We file both applications for you to maximise the total support and reduce the upfront investment.
Get your free heat pump + photovoltaics study within 48h
Combined sizing, optimised control, heat pump and PV grants calculated, a single point of contact. Describe your project in under a minute.
- Free study, no obligation
- Double heat pump + PV grant handled for you
- Installed by our certified fitters