The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment is calling for ambient air, water and ground sources to be recognised as renewable energy.

EPEE is urging MEPs to expand the definition of renewable energy sources to ambient air, water and ground sources in the draft EU law on the promotion of renewable energy sources.

It hopes broadening the definition of renewable energy sources will help EU member states exploit the largely untapped potential of heat contained in ambient air, water and soil.

Heat pumps' ability to make good use of these energy sources means it will benefit from the expanded definition of renewable energy sources and from heat pumps inclusion in the EU's Renewable Energy Sources Directive.

Although the renewable energy sources used by heat pumps are not yet recognised under the current proposal, the technology of heat pumps has been included in the draft text.

EPEE is also pushing for all heat pump technologies to be treated equally. Ambient air heat pumps are at a disadvantage in that they must comply with EU eco-labelling standards but other kinds of heat pumps, such as ground source heat pumps do not.

"We urge decision makers to simplify the way the law applies to heat pumps in order to ensure that they are assessed with respect to their energy output only, and not on the basis of the renewable energy source they use", said a spokesman for EPEE.

He added "By simply ensuring that heat pumps are chosen on the basis of their performance, the EU will be able to guarantee maximum benefits for the use of renewable energy".