When Poland was not in the European Union, you had to pay customs duties and stand at the border. Nobody had heard of photovoltaics back then, but they had heard of a heat pump. One of the pioneers was Mr. Leonard from Warsaw, who installed solar panels on his house in 2002. After more than 20 years, we check whether they still work.
In 2002, in “Facts” we showed Mr. Leonard Napiórkowski who installed solar panels on his house. We visited the man with a camera after 22 years to check whether they still work, although it should be added for the modern viewer that photovoltaic panels are not so popular nowadays.
– These are panels that heat the factor that distributes the heat. It releases some of this heat into the ground, from where the pump later draws in winter, explains Mr. Leonard.
The heat pump, which we already saw in 2002, is still working. 22 years ago it was such a novelty that in “Facts” we explained to viewers how geothermal heating works using a special graphic. Eight pipes sunk thirty meters into the ground supplied and continue to supply heat to Mr. Leonard's house.
– The investment is very good, I hope it will pay off faster – said Mr. Leonard then. Now the man adds that the investment was amortized in seven and a half seasons.
The popularity of renewable energy sources is growing (archived video)Material from “Fakty” from 2002.Marek Nowicki/Fakty TVN
“A thing worth investing in”
The costs of installing such a pump were huge back then, incomparable to today's costs. There were no government or local government subsidies, and it was impossible to buy such a pump in Poland. Leonard Napiórkowski imported it from abroad and, in addition, had to pay customs duties, because at that time Poland was not yet in the European Union.
The pump – as mentioned – works with solar panels that increase the heat of the ground. As a result, Mr. Leonard has hot water from the tap and underfloor heating. For over two decades, he has been meticulously recording everything on a special board.
Mr. Leonard, a pioneer of renewable energy sources, has also been using an air heat pump and photovoltaic panels for several years. – Renewable energy is something that I believe is the future. There is no turning back from this and it is something worth investing in for various reasons, primarily economic reasons – argues Mr. Leonard.
Many people will agree with Mr. Leonard, because in 2022 alone we bought over 200,000 various types of heat pumps.
Main photo source: Fakty TVN