Installing an aerothermal heating system in Mallorca costs between €6,000 and €22,000 in 2026: €6,000 to €10,000 for an 80-100 m² apartment and €12,000 to €18,000 for a 150-200 m² detached house. Annual savings range from €800 to €1,500 compared to gas or heating oil, with a payback period of 4-8 years. With European subsidies and income tax deductions, valid until December 2026, the actual cost can be reduced to €3,000-€9,000.
If you are fully refurbishing a home in Mallorca, there is one decision worth taking at the start and not halfway through the job: how you are going to heat and cool the house. And not because of the unit itself, but because an air source heat pump governs partitions, suspended ceilings, floors and the consumer unit. Installing it during the refurbishment costs a fraction of what it costs to install it afterwards.
What is aerothermal energy and how does it work in the climate of Mallorca?
Aerothermal energy is a heat pump that extracts energy from the outside air for heating, cooling, and domestic hot water. It works particularly well in Mallorca because the Mediterranean climate rarely drops below freezing, and the efficiency of these systems decreases precisely when it gets very cold.
In other words, in Burgos, heat pumps operate under demanding conditions for much of the winter; in Mallorca, almost never. It's one of those technologies that performs above the national average here. What does put the equipment to the test on the island is the summer, when it's used in cooling mode with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the shade.
How much does it cost to install aerothermal heating in a home in Mallorca?
Between €6,000 and €22,000 in 2026 for a complete heating, cooling, and hot water installation. The price depends primarily on the surface area and the chosen heating/cooling system, not the equipment brand.
| Type of home or installation | Price 2026 |
|---|---|
| Apartment of 80-100 m² | €6,000 – €10,000 |
| Detached house of 150-200 m² | €12,000 – €18,000 |
| Large villa with several zones | up to €22,000 |
| Hot water only | €1,800 – €2,500 |
| Underfloor heating and cooling (added) | 45 – 80 €/m² |
A construction tip: the price difference between installing an air source heat pump with fan coils and one with underfloor heating is significant, but so is the difference in comfort. If you're replacing the flooring throughout your entire house in a complete renovation, underfloor heating will never be this affordable again.
What work needs to be done to install aerothermal heating in a renovation?
You have to allow space for the outdoor unit, a run of pipework to each room, a hot water cylinder and enough electrical capacity. It is a cross-cutting job that touches plumbing, electrics and building work all at once.
- Location of the outdoor unit, respecting distances to boundaries and noise to neighbours.
- Technical room or closet for the indoor module and the cylinder, 1 to 2 m².
- Pipe layout through false ceiling or under flooring to each area.
- Placement of emitters: underfloor heating, fan coils or low-temperature radiators.
- Electrical panel reinforcement and, in many cases, an increase in contracted power.
- Envelope insulation, required by the Basic Document HE of Technical Building Code, and without it the system works harder and performs worse.
That last point is what separates a successful installation from one that disappoints. Installing an air source heat pump in an uninsulated house is like putting a new engine in a car with the windows down.
How much can you save per year with aerothermal energy?
A saving of between 30% and 70% on the annual energy bill, which in practice means €800 to €1,500 a year against a gas or oil installation. Payback sits between 4 and 8 years, with a further 20 years or so of equipment life.
In Mallorca, there's an additional factor that almost never appears in general calculations: many homes on the island don't have piped natural gas and run on heating oil, butane, or electric radiators. Compared to these three options, the savings from aerothermal energy are at the higher end of the range, not the lower end.
What subsidies are available for installing aerothermal systems in 2026?
Three compatible pathways remain in place: rehabilitation aid with European funds managed by the Ministry of Housing, and which cover from 40% to 80% of the cost depending on the energy savings achieved; the deduction in the IRPF of between 20% and 60% for works that improve the energy rating, whose requirements are detailed in the Tax Agency, in force until December 2026; and energy saving certificates, around an additional 15 %.
Combined, they can bring the real cost of a €15,000 installation down to around €6,000-€9,000. Two important conditions: the income tax deduction requires an energy certificate before and after the works, and the European grants are applied for before you start, not when you finish. It is the most common mistake and there is no fixing it afterwards.
Aerothermal heating or ducted air conditioning?
Aerothermal systems provide heating, cooling, and hot water with a single unit; ducted air conditioning only provides climate control. If you're also upgrading your hot water system, aerothermal systems are usually more cost-effective; if your hot water needs are already met and usage is seasonal, then perhaps not.
| Criterion | Aerothermal | Ducted air conditioning |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic hot water | Included | No |
| Initial investment | €6,000 – €22,000 | Lower |
| Winter comfort | High, especially with underfloor heating | Medium |
| Building work needed | Considerable | Moderate |
| Compatible with solar panels | Very good | Partially |
And on that last point: aerothermal energy and self-consumption reinforce each other, because the equipment's electricity consumption largely coincides with the hours of solar production. We analyze this in detail in our article on whether whether installing solar panels at home in Mallorca is worth it.
Does aerothermal heating work well in old stone houses?
It works, but only if accompanied by improved insulation. Thick walls of marés stone or masonry have high thermal inertia, which helps in summer, but they often lack insulation and airtight windows and doors, and that's where the energy is lost.
In the Mallorcan village houses we refurbish, the sequence that works is always the same: envelope first — roof, joinery, insulation wherever it is possible without harming the character of the building — and then sizing the equipment. Doing it the other way round leads to installing an oversized machine that uses more than it should for its whole life. You can see what a job of this kind covers in what a full refurbishment includes.
When NOT to install air source heat pumps
- When you're not going to touch the envelope or the insulation. The system will perform below what was promised and the payback will stretch out for years.
- When the property is for occasional holiday use. With only two months of occupancy per year, the savings do not compensate for the initial investment.
- When there is no admissible outside space for the unit. In flats in the historic centre of Palma, with internal courtyards and facade restrictions, sometimes it simply does not fit legally.
Frequently asked questions about aerothermal energy in Mallorca
How much does it cost to install aerothermal heating in a 200 m² villa in Mallorca?
Between €12,000 and €18,000 in 2026 for a complete installation with heating, cooling, and domestic hot water. If underfloor heating is included throughout the entire area, add between €45 and €80/m². With energy efficiency grants and income tax deductions, the net cost can be reduced by almost half.
Does an air source heat pump make noise and can it bother the neighbours?
The outdoor unit makes a noise similar to a conventional air conditioner, between 45 and 55 decibels at one metre. In terraced houses or internal courtyards it is worth being careful with the location and, if necessary, fitting an anti-vibration base and an acoustic screen. Several Mallorcan municipalities regulate noise levels on facades and in courtyards, so it is worth checking beforehand.
Do I need to increase my contracted electrical power for the aerothermal system?
In many cases, yes, especially in older homes with 3.45 kW or 4.6 kW of contracted power. An air source heat pump system for a single-family home typically requires between 6 kW and 9 kW of available power. Upgrading the system involves checking the electrical certificate and, sometimes, updating the entire internal wiring, something that is often done in a complete renovation.
Is it possible to install aerothermal heating in an apartment in Palma?
Yes, as long as there is a permissible spot for the outdoor unit — terrace, courtyard or roof — and the residents' association authorises it if it affects communal parts. It is an increasingly frequent installation in flat refurbishments in the Eixample and Santa Catalina, and it is usually solved well by combining it with fan coils in a suspended ceiling when underfloor heating is not possible.
How long does an aerothermal installation last?
The typical lifespan of the unit is between 15 and 20 years, and considerably longer for the underfloor heating circuit, which can exceed 40 years due to being embedded in the mortar. Annual maintenance is simple: pressure checks, cleaning of the outdoor unit, and circuit inspection, at an approximate cost of €150-250 per year.
Let's plan your renovation with air conditioning included
Aerothermal heating and cooling should be chosen at the beginning of the renovation, not at the end. If you're considering a complete renovation in Mallorca, it makes sense to design the building envelope, climate control, and installations all at once, so you don't pay twice for opening up the same walls. At Construcciones Armalutx, we've been doing it this way since 1967, with over 1,500 projects completed on the island.
Call us at 625 16 47 18 or email us at info@armalutx.com and we'll plan it with you. Here are all our services home renovations in Mallorca, and here's who we are as renovation and construction company in Mallorca.
