Am I allowed to install ground-source heating in Sweden?
Yes — but ground-, soil-, lake- and groundwater-source heat need a notification to the municipal environmental board before you drill. An air-to-air heat pump needs nothing, and air-to-water usually no permit. Send the notification about 6 weeks before drilling and keep at least 20 m between boreholes — counting your own holes and the neighbour's alike. Neighbours must be consulted if the boundary lies within 20 m or a drinking-water well within 30 m, and within a water-protection area the county board may need to give permission. The trap: the green-tech credit does not cover heat pumps — it covers solar, battery and charging point. For a heat pump you use the ROT credit: 30% of the labour cost, max 50,000 kr per person per year.
📋 The rules
- Ground/soil/lake-source heat needs a notification to the board
- Notification about 6 weeks before drilling
- At least 20 m between boreholes (own and neighbour's)
- Air-to-air needs nothing; air-to-water usually no permit
- Green-tech excludes heat pumps — use the ROT credit (30%)
🔓 Exceptions
- Within a water-protection area the county board may need to give permission
- Neighbour consultation if the boundary is within 20 m or a drinking-water well within 30 m
- An air-to-air heat pump needs no notification at all
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Drilling without a notification brings an environmental sanction charge of around 3,000 kr, and it is imposed however well the work was done — plus the municipality's handling fee for the notification you still have to file afterwards. The board can also ban use of the installation, and that is the expensive part: the hole is drilled and the pump paid for, but you may not draw the heat. The liability sits with the property owner, not the drilling firm. The distance rule cuts both ways — the 20-metre limit counts against the neighbour's boreholes too, so a neighbour who drilled first limits where you may put yours.
📎 Official sources
- City of Stockholm · Heat pump permit →
- Tax Agency · Green technology →
- Environmental Code (1998:808) · Riksdagen →
❓ Frequently asked
Do I need a permit for ground-source heating?
You need to file a notification with the municipal environmental board before you drill, and it should be sent in about six weeks ahead. Within a water-protection area a permit from the county board can also be required.
How close to the neighbour's borehole can I drill?
At least 20 metres between boreholes applies as a guideline, and the distance counts against your own holes and the neighbour's alike. If the boundary is within 20 metres, or a drinking-water well within 30 metres, the neighbours must be consulted.
Do I get the green-tech credit for a heat pump?
No. Green tech covers solar panels, battery and charging point, but not heat pumps. For a heat pump you use the ROT credit instead, at 30% of the labour cost and a maximum of 50,000 kr per person per year.
Does an air-to-air heat pump need a notification?
No, an air-to-air heat pump needs no notification at all, and air-to-water usually needs no permit. The duty to notify hits what gets drilled or dug in: ground-, soil-, lake- and groundwater-source heat.
What happens if I drill without notifying?
You can get an environmental sanction charge of around 3,000 kr plus the municipality's handling fee, and the board can ban use of the installation. The liability sits with the property owner, not the drilling firm.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I install ground source heating sweden”
- “heat pump notification municipality”
- “borehole distance 20 metres sweden”
- “green tech heat pump credit”
- “rot credit heat pump”
- “ground source water protection area”