Scottish Heat Pump Ready Pilot
Power Circle, a Scottish social enterprise and new HeatSource Champion, has been selected to undertake a Scottish heat pump pilot study as part of a UK-wide programme to plan for heat pumps to be installed in people’s homes in large numbers.
The funding has been made available from the UK Government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) which provides funding for low-carbon technologies and systems to help the UK achieve its goal of net zero. It is part of the Heat Pump Ready Programme from the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Power Circle aims also to work closely with Scottish Government on this pioneering project. The pilot project will take place in Blairgowrie in partnership with The HEAT Project (part of Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust). It will work with local gas service engineers, to understand how to boost install capacity and provide a key channel to market at scale.
A heat pump is a device that absorbs heat from the air, ground or water around a building and converts it into a form that can be used for heating a house. Heat pumps can produce three to four times as much heat as the electricity needed to run them and are therefore part of the government's efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from heating as part of tackling the problem of climate change.
This project is looking specifically at the most cost-effective way to introduce heat pumps for the consumer. To reduce the cost of running the heat pumps the feasibility study is looking at the option of installing heat pumps in combination with roof top solar PV and battery storage. The solar PV and battery will provide electricity to operate the heat pump which will reduce the amount of energy the heat pump needs to draw from the grid.
The overall aim of heat pump ready projects is to produce solutions which enable heat pumps to be deployed at a high density. The project aim is to achieve this by developing a model that makes the installation and operation of heat pumps more affordable so that it can recruit higher numbers of consumers within a specific location to achieve the high density.
Martin Mathers, HEAT Project Manager said, “Our aim is to understand the feasibility of a package for households that really reduces their energy use, tackling climate change and hopefully reducing energy bills – a win-win for consumers and the environment.”
Jon Cape, Managing Director of Power Circle said “Through this feasibility we are hoping to develop a package which can link the heat pump and PV/battery systems together into a smart community energy system. This can help householders get even more benefits.“
MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Keith Brown said: "The Climate Emergency and soaring heating bills as part of the Cost-of-Living Crisis are two very pressing reasons why we need to be investigating smarter and more efficient heating systems for homes and businesses. I am delighted, therefore, to see a company based in my constituency so much to the fore in exploring and developing these important technologies.”
Over the next few months, the project team will be seeking feedback from the community on the proposals through questionnaires, focus groups and one to one discussions. For more information contact Power Circle Info@powercircle.org.uk
If you live locally and are interested in knowing more and participating in the consultation, contact The Heat Project at https://www.theheatproject.org