Five heat pump leaders receive top award

AUSTRIA: Graeme Maidment of London South Bank University and Thomas Nowak of heat pump manufacturer Qvantum International are among the recipients of this year’s Peter Ritter von Rittinger Award.

Presented every three years in connection with the International IEA Heat Pump Conference, the award recognises outstanding contributions to international collaboration in research, policy, market development, and applications of energy-efficient heat pumping technologies.

In addition to Graeme Maidment and Thomas Nowak, the other recipients were Björn Palm of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Choyu Watanabe of Zeneral Heatpump Industry/Nagoya University, and Renato Lazzarin, University of Padua.

The award is named in honour of Peter Ritter von Rittinger, the Austrian engineer who designed and installed the first known heat pump in 1855 which was installed at a salt works in the village of Ebensee in upper Austria to replace wood firing.

The 2026 awardees

Björn Palm of Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology was recognised for his long-standing contributions to heat pump technologies through highly cited research, industrial collaboration, and education of numerous experts. He was awarded for great contribution in technology advancement.

Thomas Nowak, former general secretary of the European Heat Pump Association, now VP of government relations and public affairs at heat pump manufacturer Qvantum International, was awarded for great contribution in market development. Nowak was seen to have played a decisive and irreplaceable role in transforming heat pumps from a niche technology into a strategic pillar of Europe’s energy system with lasting international impact. 

Graeme Maidment of London South Bank University, and a former president of the Institute of Refrigeration, has a leading role in translating heat pump technologies into real-world urban energy systems. Besides wide scientific work he has been active in influencing energy politics. He was awarded for great contributions in technology advancement and administration.

Choyu Watanabe of Zeneral Heatpump Industry/Nagoya University, has a key leadership role in the development and international transfer of advanced industrial heat pump technologies. He was awarded for great contributions in key leadership role in the development and international transfer of advanced industrial heat pump technologies. 

Renato Lazzarin of the University of Padua was awarded for great contributions in technology advancement. Involved in heat pump research over several decades, Lazzarin has been widely recognised for scientific impact.