BLUEHEART ENERGY: Pioneering Soundwave Solutions

In the quiet but critical corner of the energy transition conversation, one significant contributor to global emissions often gets overlooked: the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. As countries double down on decarbonisation and grid optimisation efforts, HVAC systems remain stubbornly polluting, noisy, expensive, and inefficient. Now, with legislation in Europe set to ban refrigerant gases in HVAC units from 2027, pressure is mounting on the market to develop radical new technologies. Enter BlueHeart Energy, a Dutch deep tech company that has created a promising alternative—one that could overhaul HVAC for the better.

Founded in 2016 as a spin-out from TNO, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, BlueHeart Energy has emerged as one of the most exciting players in clean thermal technologies. The company’s mission is to design and engineer a system that eliminates the need for harmful refrigerants, improves energy efficiency, and delivers ultra-flexible solutions to homes and industry alike. The chosen concept to tackle a big challenge is thermoacoustics.

ENGINEERING FOR IMPACT

“We make engines for HVAC applications—mainly heat pumps,” Founder and CEO Michiel Hartman tells Energy Focus. “Our customers are OEMs—manufacturers of heat pumps or air conditioning systems—but we’re also seeing a lot of growing interest from industrial customers.”

BlueHeart’s engine replaces traditional compressor-based systems and leverages the principles of thermoacoustics: using soundwaves to create heating and cooling without refrigerants.

“Everywhere a compressor is used, or compression cycles of refrigerants, we can use our system to replace the cycle,” Hartman explains. And the results are impressive. BlueHeart has already built three working prototypes—each 30–40% more efficient than the last—and the company’s first in-house system has successfully kept its premises warm throughout a Dutch winter. “To design and build takes almost a year, and we are always improving and getting faster.” 

The business began its journey by absorbing more than two decades of TNO’s thermoacoustic research. With that foundation, Hartman and his team began gathering expertise in earnest. “From 2019, we started to build. Now, we are a larger team with engineers, thermoacoustic experts, and R&D specialists,” he says. “In hardware deep tech, you are always finding out things that you don’t yet know. We believe we now know how to design the perfect machine.” 

REVOLUTION, NOT EVOLUTION 

BlueHeart’s biggest asset is its simplicity. Unlike vapour compression systems, which depend on chemical refrigerants and are constrained by input/output temperature limitations, BlueHeart’s thermoacoustic engine can pick up heat from water at any temperature and deliver it anywhere it’s needed. “It doesn’t matter what the source temperature is. We can design systems with different sources and move between them during different times of the week or year,” Hartman explains. “It’s very fast and very flexible.” 

This adaptability also positions BlueHeart as an ideal solution for both residential and industrial applications—especially in regions experiencing grid congestion. “It’s a single system adjusted by a simple control. That means you can adapt to all situations.”

Hartman is also keen to point out the industrial demand for innovative solutions. “Splitting units with a natural refrigerant like propane is very difficult. That is where we see, from 2029 onwards, new techniques will be required.” In this context, thermoacoustics isn’t just a novel idea—it’s a necessity.

SCALING AT PACE

Today, BlueHeart is no longer just an R&D company. “We have set up and implemented an industrialisation team, and we are building the company with the right people with the right attitude,” says Hartman. This pivot is vital as the business moves from prototype development to mass production.

“We have several customers who are developing products that include our product. This year, we will be focused on onboarding them while bringing our system to the next level,” he shares. The company is now in active conversations with manufacturers and suppliers across the globe to support the scaling of its technology.

Importantly, the 2027 EU legislation banning high-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants is acting as a catalyst. “That gave us, our investors, and our customers the final push in realising that this will actually happen,” says Hartman. With no viable drop-in replacements available for every application, BlueHeart’s clean-sheet design is perfectly timed.

Another benefit that adds to the company’s sustainability is its simplicity in maintenance. “We are maintenance free with only two moving parts,” Hartman reveals. “That helps the industry to scale up while bringing prices down. Thermoacoustics is very difficult to design. Manufacturing is tough, but when it is all designed, it is a very simple system and scaling becomes easy.”

This promising trajectory has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, BlueHeart Energy secured a major investment from Copeland—a globally renowned provider of HVAC and refrigeration technology. The partnership marks a significant milestone for the company, affirming both the technical viability and commercial appeal of its thermoacoustic technology.

“That gave us, our investors, and our customers the final push in realising that this will actually happen,” Hartman notes. “Copeland’s involvement is a real validation of the work we’re doing. It brings credibility, scale, and access to global markets.”

The Copeland investment is expected to accelerate the industrialisation phase, offering BlueHeart the means to engage more deeply with OEMs, refine its manufacturing approach, and move faster towards widespread adoption.

MARKET MOMENTUM

From its humble beginnings, BlueHeart has grown to a team of 44 employees. While not yet profitable, the company’s focus remains firmly on getting the design perfect and launching its product to a market that is now actively seeking alternatives.

“We were focusing on the residential market at first because we fit perfectly,” Hartman says. But industrial interest is growing rapidly. BlueHeart is preparing for both. With customers onboard and an increasing profile in public forums, the company is stepping out of stealth mode. 

“We have been a little quiet, deliberately,” Hartman explains. “People are interested in using soundwaves to heat and cool and so we have had to be discreet. We are now starting to step out and that makes us even busier.” 

And industry has taken notice. BlueHeart was recently awarded a DesignPlus prize at ISH Frankfurt—one of the most prestigious industry awards. Recognition at this level validates the years of R&D, prototyping and market building that Hartman and his team have invested. 

SOUND FUTURE 

With regulations looming, investor interest swelling, and product performance rising with each iteration, BlueHeart Energy has built a strong foundation for long-term impact.

“Natural refrigerants are not available or effective everywhere and so other solutions are needed. That is where we come in,” says Hartman. Looking ahead, the company’s plan is clear: build partnerships with OEMs, scale manufacturing with global suppliers, and ensure the final product is cost-effective, easy to install, and built for the long haul.

“You need time to get the design perfect, and then you can manufacture. That is when everyone starts to benefit.” 

In an industry desperate for disruption, BlueHeart Energy’s elegant, soundwave-powered solution is making all the right noise.