HVAC Contractors Can Help NCR Factories Prepare for Winter Fuel Restrictions with Heat Pumps

29 October 2026

What winter restrictions mean for a factory in NCR

Each year, as the air quality in Delhi-NCR worsens, CAQM brings in restrictions under GRAP. The best-known one is on diesel generator sets: its directions ban them during GRAP periods, with limited exceptions such as sets running on gas, or dual-fuel sets (70 per cent gas and 30 per cent diesel) fitted with retrofitted emission control devices, which may run for a limited number of hours. Press reports from recent winters describe industrial units in places such as Faridabad, Gurugram and Panipat struggling to move from coal and diesel to piped natural gas, partly because the gas infrastructure was not available everywhere.

We are a heat pump manufacturer, not a regulator, and we are not giving legal advice. The point is simpler: for a factory in this region, the fuel and the equipment it uses to make hot water are worth reviewing before the cold season, not during it.

Sources for the regulatory points are listed at the end of this article.

Where hot water sits in a factory

Fiidotherm’s industrial page names the kinds of plants that need high-temperature water: feed water boilers, laundries, and chemical process industries. In many of these, hot water is made by burning something: diesel, coal, gas or oil, or by electric heating. That is the part a heat pump can be considered for.

What a heat pump can do here

• Hot water at around 90°C. The industrial heat pump is described on Fiidotherm’s website as suited to industries needing water at about 90°C.
• No open flame. Fiidotherm notes that heat pumps remove the risks that come with open flames and high-pressure steam systems.
• No fuel burned on site. The unit runs on electricity and takes its heat from the air. Fiidotherm’s FAQ describes its Low Energy Water Heater as essentially a reverse air conditioner.
• Fits into existing processes. Fiidotherm says it can integrate into existing industrial hot-water processes in manufacturing facilities, chemical plants and laundries.

What it cannot do, and where to be careful

• It is not steam. If a process needs steam or temperatures above the heat pump’s range, a boiler or other source is still required for that part.
• It does not provide backup power. A heat pump needs electricity. If a plant leans on diesel generators during outages, the GRAP limits on generators still apply.
• Winter reduces efficiency. Fiidotherm’s FAQ says COP is around 4 to 5 at 20°C ambient and falls to around 2.5 at 0°C, and the unit runs defrost cycles in freezing conditions. NCR winters are cold well below that 20°C mark, so sizing must use cold-weather figures.
• Run-time matters. The FAQ does not recommend running the unit 24 hours a day, because it shortens its life, and suggests around 8 hours, used as required. For a factory with round-the-clock hot water demand, the answer is correct sizing and storage, which should be discussed with the manufacturer.

A practical approach for HVAC contractors

If a factory owner asks you what to do about winter restrictions, this sequence keeps you on safe ground:

1. List every hot water duty and its temperature. Wash water, process tanks, boiler feed water, rinsing: what is needed, at what temperature, for how many hours?
2. Separate hot water from steam and from power. Only the hot water duties are candidates for a heat pump.
3. Confirm the current rules for that unit. The location, the fuel used and the equipment type all matter. Ask the factory to confirm with CAQM directions and the state pollution control board.
4. Walk the site. Fiidotherm’s FAQ lists what to check: good ventilation, a place near the electrical supply (single or three phase), a voltage stabiliser where fluctuation is high, a softener where water is hard (above 300 ppm), a strainer or filter, and shade for the outdoor unit.
5. Get the sizing done with the manufacturer. Provide litres per day, inlet and outlet temperature, and operating hours.
6. Plan servicing. The FAQ recommends a yearly or half-yearly inspection by experts, and says that service people from the air-conditioning field are well suited. That is a natural fit for an HVAC contractor.

Why this suits HVAC contractors

Fiidotherm’s dealer page points out that a heat pump water heater runs on the same refrigeration cycle as the air-conditioning systems an HVAC team already installs and services. That means the skills transfer: refrigeration circuits, controls, airflow, and routine maintenance.

Fiidotherm is inviting HVAC contractors, MEP consultants, bathroom accessory dealers, solar water heater and geyser dealers and architects to add heat pumps to what they offer. Territory, terms and pricing are discussed individually, and you can ask about training, marketing material and after-sales support in your city. Delhi and Chandigarh are among the cities Fiidotherm already lists, and the team is open to hearing from other cities in the region.

About Fiidotherm

Fiidotherm manufactures heat pump water heaters in India. It is a sister concern of Sudarshan Saur Shakti Pvt. Ltd., which has designed, manufactured and marketed solar water heaters since 1989. The group also includes Surya Springs, a precision-engineering manufacturer. Products include industrial heat pumps (around 90°C), commercial heat pumps, domestic heat pumps, swimming pool heat pumps and space heating and cooling heat pumps. More in our FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

Does CAQM ban diesel boilers in NCR?

The best-known GRAP restriction concerns diesel generator sets. Rules on fuels for boilers and process heaters differ by area and have changed over time, so check the current CAQM directions and your state pollution control board for your specific unit. Do not rely on a summary, including this one.

Can an industrial heat pump reach 90°C?

Fiidotherm describes its industrial heat pump as supplying water at around 90°C, for uses such as feed water boilers, laundries and chemical processes. Whether that suits your process depends on the temperature and volume you need.

Will a heat pump work in Delhi winters?

Yes, but efficiency falls as it gets colder. Fiidotherm’s FAQ gives COP of about 4 to 5 at 20°C and about 2.5 at 0°C, and the unit uses a defrost cycle in freezing conditions. Sizing should be based on cold-month conditions.

Can a heat pump replace a steam boiler?

Not for steam. A heat pump supplies hot water. If your process needs steam, a heat pump may take over the hot water duties only. A site assessment will show which duties qualify.

Will a heat pump keep a factory running during a generator ban?

It does not supply power. It runs on grid electricity, so the answer depends on your power arrangements. A heat pump removes one fuel-burning hot water source from the picture, nothing more.

Sources

• CAQM Direction No. 57 on DG sets under GRAP
• The Tribune: To curb pollution in NCR, diesel generators banned from Oct 1
• The Tribune: NCR units fail to switch to green fuel, face closure