Page 39 - Gi flipbook May 2018

partners in the project, with each
providing their own expertise and FIGURE 1: Type of Property
insight to deliver a coherent, well
thought-out and reliable output.
PROJECT PROGRAMME
Heat pump procurement
The process of procuring heat pumps
for the four pilot installations in Phase
1 took place from October to
December, 2016. The manufacturers
selected for the pilot were Daikin,
Samsung and MasterTherm, with each
offering distinctive benefits. Even
though additional controls had to be
developed, all three manufacturers
were carried forward into Phase 2 as
they offered better value for money,
spread project risk and opened up a capital cost is the key factor that
market-ready opportunity. influences a decision to change to an FIGURE 2: Age of Property
All the heat pumps can be alternative heating solution, with 80
retrofitted to any existing boiler, with per cent of consumers unable or
one retrofit proof of concept delivered. unwilling to pay. Development of
The project also has three installations future customer propositions needs to
with systems boilers and three off-grid consider the limited willingness and
homes that use Calor gas. ability to pay upfront costs and
solutions to circumnavigate this issue.
Installation and engagement
Seventy-five installations were KEY LEARNING
completed in 2017, with a focus on Smart controlled hybrid heating
ensuring the portfolio of residential systems with boilers running on
properties was representative of natural gas offer lower cost and lower
housing stock that will be around in carbon domestic heat compared to FIGURE 3: Number of bedrooms
2050 and beyond: electrified heat through ASHPs alone.
• flats, bungalows, terraced, semi- They avoid the inefficient and costly
detached and detached use of peaking generation to power an
• 1-5 bedroom homes ASHP. Burning gas in the home at 93
• from pre-1900 to new build per cent efficiency is more carbon
• split between privately owned and efficient than incurring six per cent
social tenanted electricity network transmission losses
after burning fossil fuel at coal (34 per
Surprisingly, 12 per cent of cent efficient, 937g CO2e/kWh) or gas
participants had ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ peaking OCGT (28 per cent efficient,
knowledge about hybrid heating 651g CO2e/kWh) power stations. Even
systems before the trial. This was the future low carbon homes with
same for heat pumps in general. The improved energy efficiency and on-site FIGURE 4: Occupancy
hybrid heating systems installed as renewable generation are still likely to
part of the project appealed to need to import energy for heat and
participants once explained, with hot water in the winter and would
running cost savings viewed as the benefit from hybrid flexibility.
biggest advantage. Nearly 90 per cent When there is insufficient renewable
of respondents found the idea of electricity generation, power is
hybrid heating systems appealing or expensive, it is very cold and/or when
very appealing. there are capacity constraints in the
Reducing impact on the electricity network, the heat load can
environment was considered very or shift across to the gas network, (and
extremely important when customers vice versa) to provide uncompromised
were surveyed. However, cost, heat – flexibly using the vast energy
reliability and comfort all rated as storage within the gas network full decarbonisation of domestic
higher priorities. The supply of a (210TWh seasonally). heating. The Wales & West Utilities
hybrid heating system without The addition of renewable gases to network currently has 18 distributed
triallists having to invest their own the network, such as hydrogen blends, biomethane sites connected with a
money in the equipment was very biomethane or BioSNG, significantly 1.5TWh capacity.
appealing. Some recent research from improves the carbon reduction when The smart control panel enables the
Wales & West Utilities shows initial the boiler operates and could achieve opportunity to switch between the

39

IGEMNews_YPPC.indd 2 19/04/2018 13:23