Networked Heat Pumps

A decarbonisation solution for over 60% of UK homes

Networked Heat Pumps provide heating and cooling for multiple properties and are the solution to providing low-carbon heat to entire communities for the lowest cost and grid impact.

Networked Heat Pumps can give millions of homes access to heating that is three times more efficient than gas boilers.

Networked Heat Pumps are perfectly suited for new-build developments, terraced streets, tower blocks and tenements, avoiding the space constraints faced by air source heat pumps, networked heat pumps offer solution to decarbonise for mid-density housing.

Kensa’s vision for a 21st Century gas grid equivalent

The methods used to decarbonise and electrify heat in the UK will have profound implications for future power supply and demand.

  • Huge energy cost savings

    Research by Element Energy shows that Networked Heat Pumps and heat flexibility could save up to £15.1 billion/year in electricity system costs between now and 2050.

  • Reduced strain on the grid

    Britain’s annual electricity consumption could be reduced by up to 24 TWh a year in 2050, almost as much as the estimated total annual output of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

  • Low-cost cooling

    The system allows the heat to be recycled rather than wasted into the atmosphere, as with traditional air conditioning, which is also much more expensive. The excess heat displaced by cooling goes back into the network to recharge the ground array.
Costs

How much do Networked Heat Pumps cost?

With Kensa’s ground array funding offers, Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps can cost less than Air Source Heat Pumps for house builders, landlords, home owners and residents.

Element energy report

A report by Element Energy modelled specifically on the most common UK housing type at scale deployment, upfront capital costs are roughly 8% (£900) lower, and annual running costs are 18% (£290/year) lower.

Consumer savings

Networked ground source heat pumps have the lowest running costs of any heating system because of their exceptional efficiency. This results in reduced running costs and cheaper energy bills.

Split ownership model

The networked heat pump model allows a unique opportunity to separate the cost of the heat pumps from the ground array – the most expensive aspect of the project – this is called ‘split ownership’.
Levelling the costs

What is split-ownership?

External investors like utility companies own the heat network infrastructure. This leaves property owners, developers and/or social landlords responsible for providing only the heat pump and internal distribution system, reducing risk and lowering upfront costs.

The utility can fund and look after the heat network infrastructure, just as utility providers do today for gas and other networks such as water, electricity, data, roads and waste disposal. They can charge connection fees in return if they wish to recoup costs, similar to the gas network standing charge.

Greater efficiency

How are Networked Heat Pumps different to traditional district heating?

Ambient temperature heat networks differ from traditional heat networks because each premises has its own ground source heat pump, which upgrades heat from the network only when it is needed in the property. This brings multiple benefits:

  • No central plant room

    In many traditional district heating systems, the heat and hot water are generated at a centralised location. As well as taking up lots of space, these can be energy-wasting, financially front-loaded systems. Networked Heat Pumps do not require large, unsightly plant rooms and complex controls. Instead, householders have their own heat pumps with simple controls. Besides minimal, straightforward maintenance, there is no mandatory servicing requirement thanks to the safe, non-combustion technology.

  • No heat losses or overheating

    The heat generated by a central plant is continually circulated inside the building at high temperatures. This leads to heat losses and overheating through the distribution pipework, particularly in risers and communal areas, which is wasteful and costly for occupiers. Networked heat pump systems are more efficient, as high-grade heat is only generated when needed by the ground source heat pump inside the home. The distribution pipework circulates low-grade ambient temperature heat and, therefore, does not suffer from heat losses, combatting overheating in buildings.

  • No metering or split-billing

    Central plants require split billing, highly specialised servicing and the restriction of a single energy provider. However, with a networked heat pump system, the individual heat pumps are connected to the electricity supply of each individual property. This means each occupier pays for their heating via their own electricity bill and has freedom of choice over which supplier and which tariff to use.

  • Risk mitigation

    With an individual heat pump in each dwelling, a networked heat pump system is better safeguarded against whole system failures because, if one heat pump goes down, just one residence is affected. This is as opposed to in a central plant where the whole network is affected, and to prevent this, they need a system backup.