Heat pump field trial report
The Energy Saving Trust's heat pump field trial is the most wide ranging monitoring exercise of domestic heat pump installations and customer feedback undertaken to date in the UK.
The trial was launched in July 2008 to monitor the performance of 83 heat pumps installed in UK homes for a period of at least 12 months.
About the report
The field trial included a wide range of sites, including:
- Air and ground source heat pumps
- Installations in private and social housing
- Installations providing central heating/hot water and heating only
- Installations supported by UK grants programmes
The Energy Saving Trust identified participants from a selection of grant recipients and sites put forward by social housing providers, the energy suppliers, and heat pump manufacturers.
The field trial was undertaken to determine the key factors which impact the performance of domestic-scale heat pumps, including technical parameters (eg system sizing and installation) and customer feedback and behaviour.
The findings illustrate that heat pump performance is highly dependent upon appropriate installation and integration with the building’s existing heating system, as well as appropriate control by the customer.
Access the full heat pump field trial report.
Key recommendations
The report provides a number of key recommendations for customers interested in purchasing a heat pump:
You should consider a heat pump if you live in a:
- well-insulated existing property that cannot access the gas network. Heat pumps have the potential to reduce running costs compared with oil, direct electric, LPG, or coal, and can provide substantial carbon savings over the lifetime of the installation.
- new-build property.
How to get the best performance from a heat pump
- Ensure your dwelling is insulated as much as possible (e.g. cavity and loft insulation) prior to a heat pump being installed
- Install the heat pump with low temperature under-floor heating or properly sized radiators
- Insist upon understandable, user-friendly controls.
What to expect from a heat pump
- Since heat pumps provide a lower temperature heating compared with boilers, radiators will be warm rather than hot
- A house with radiators may heat up more slowly
- The heat pump will run for longer hours than a conventional boiler but if properly controlled will switch on and off with the heating requirements of the house
- A properly sized and installed heat pump should be able to provide all of a household’s domestic hot water, but many systems are installed with a supplemental electric immersion heater.
Praise for the heat pump field trial report
ScottishPower:
ScottishPower see these field trials managed by the EST to be of great value and are pleased to be have been able to support them. Trials of an impartial nature across a range of installations and appliance types are invaluable in establishing in field performance of equipment and also providing learning that can be used to better inform householders and better develop the products and services for customers.
Professor David MacKay, Chief Scientific Officer, Department of Energy and Climate Change:
"Heat pumps will be a crucial component of our low-carbon future, provided they perform well. It’s therefore essential to conduct trials to establish best practice, and perfect this technology for use in building throughout the UK."
Further help and advice
You may also wish to use our Home Energy Generation Selector tool to help identify other technologies that might be suitable to generate heat or electricity in your home. Or contact your local advice centre on 0800 512 012.
