Wastewater Heat Recovery: 38% Growth in 2024 for Individual Residential Units in Europe

Toulouse, April 16th, 2025,

Figures compiled by the European Association for Wastewater Heat Recovery (EuroWWHR) show continued strong momentum in the European wastewater heat recovery (WWHR) market, with 47,668 residential units manufactured in 2024, representing a 38% increase over 2023 figures.

WWHR technology reduces the energy demand for domestic hot water by capturing heat from warm shower wastewater and using it to preheat the incoming cold water supply — typically from 10°C up to 25°C — via a specifically engineered heat exchanger. As showering can account for up to 80% of hot water use, WWHR systems can deliver around 40% savings on final energy demand and related CO₂ emissions for hot water production.

These systems are developed and manufactured by innovative European SMEs. Eight EuroWWHR member companies — Zypho (PT), ACO (NL), Joulia (CH), EHTech (FR), Der Warmduscher (DE), ThermiUp (FR), Counter Flow (NL), and Q-Blue (NL) — reported the sale of 47,668 individual residential units in 2024, up from 34,537 in 2023. Since 2021, over 126,000 residential units have been deployed across Europe. The market for collective and non-residential WWHR units remained stable with 115 units sold.

In total, WWHR units manufactured between 2021 and 2024 now deliver more than 30 GWh/year of energy savings and cumulate 138 GWh of energy saved since 2021.

Looking forward, the potential remains enormous. According to research by the University of Innsbruck[1] and the Passive House Institute, if just half of all new or renovated buildings in Europe were equipped with WWHR systems between 2022 and 2030, Europe could save 35.7 TWh of energy and avoid 6.6 million tonnes of CO₂e emissions.

Hugo Durou, President of EuroWWHR, stated:

"2024 was another strong year for wastewater heat recovery in Europe. These results confirm the increasing maturity of our sector and the crucial role WWHR can play in meeting Europe’s climate goals. We call on policymakers to ensure that heat recovery is considered in building performance standards — this will boost deployment, reduce energy bills, and support the transition to a sustainable built environment."

The European Association for Wastewater Heat Recovery (EuroWWHR) unites a diverse group of innovators, manufacturers, and distributors committed to advancing wastewater heat recovery (WWHR) technologies across Europe. All member organizations adhere to stringent quality standards, ensuring their products are independently tested and comply with EU and national water safety regulations.

EuroWWHR Members:

·        ACO ShowerDrain – The Netherlands

·        Biofluides Environnement – France

·        Cerian Shower – Spain

·        Counter Flow Products BV – The Netherlands

·        Der Warmduscher – Germany

·        EHTech – France

·        Evolsys – France

·        Gaïa Green – France

·        Hamwells – The Netherlands

·        International Copper Association Europe - Belgium

·        Joulia SA – Switzerland

·        MEED – The Netherlands

·        Q-Blue BV – The Netherlands

·        Quantia – France

·        Recoup Energy Solutions – United Kingdom

·        Sanura – The Netherlands

·        Sophie Heat Recovery – Austria

·        Solaronics Chauffage – France

·        Technea – The Netherlands

·        ThermiUp – France

·        Zypho SA – Portugal

These members collectively represent the forefront of WWHR innovation, offering a range of solutions tailored for both residential and commercial applications. Their collaborative efforts are instrumental in promoting energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions across the European building sector.

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[1] The potential of Wastewater Heat Recovery Systems in reducing the energy need for water heating in the EU in a cost-efficient way, Study, University of Innsbruck, Passive House Institute, March 2022