A group of businesses led by Chameleon Technology has secured government funding to develop heat pump optimisation technology to encourage consumer confidence and increase adoption.
Chameleon Technology, partners Evergreen Energy, Energy House (part of University of Salford), EnAppSys and TalkTalk Telecoms, were collectively awarded £763k funding by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to deliver the Total Home Optimisation Management (THOM) project.
The THOM is part of the government’s Heat Pump Ready Programme, which aims to increase public awareness of the cost saving and environmental benefits of heat pumps.
The government’s target is to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, but there is a skills shortage in the industry, and no dedicated apprenticeship programme for heat pump installers, though this is set to change later in 2023. Without decarbonising home heating, the UK could end up increasingly dependent on gas imports as North Sea oil and gas diminishes.
The THOM project aims to reduce the long and complicated process of heat pump installations through tools that help consumers have better awareness of their own energy and heating needs. THOM will see Chameleon Technology working to utilise existing data to give smart insights to consumers.
In May, Sarah Hunter, non-executive director of public policy at the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) said that the government needs to do more to incentivise the uptake of heat pumps.
According to the Micro Certification Scheme (MCS), there have been 164,502 certified heat pump installations so far in the UK. Less than two per cent of UK homes had low-carbon heating systems in 2021, with around 50,000 heat pumps installed that year.
“The project will create a heat pump specialist Home Energy Management System (HEMS) supported by a full-package software solution, to help customers understand and maximise the benefits of their heat pumps whilst reducing energy bills and carbon emissions,” according to Chameleon Technology.
Smart meter data will be used to streamline heat pump installation, reduce survey requirements, improve system performance, and increase consumer confidence in the technology. Heat pump installation currently involves several engineer visits to assess feasibility. Chameleon Technology and their partners are creating an app to integrate smart meter data, router data and smart thermostat data to provide accurate home energy use insights. The app will also provide a simpler route for the sizing and installation of a heat pump.
Delighted to announce a new partnership with Evergreen Energy, TalkTalk, The University of Salford and EnAppSys to deliver the Total Home Optimisation Management (THOM) project.
— Chameleon Technology (@smartchameleon) June 19, 2023
Read more about this new heat pump optimisation project here: https://t.co/Ky5sShzCsF pic.twitter.com/cVxQGvOJSQ
Mike Woodhall, CEO of Chameleon Technology commented: “More must be done to get the UK on track to achieve the Government’s Net Zero targets. This innovative collaboration is just one of the many ways in which the heat pump programme can really gather the momentum it needs to deliver decarbonised heating. Our technology is designed to make measures such as heat pumps as accessible as possible, as our mission is to help the consumer to get to Net Zero by making it easy for everyone to participate.”
Stephane Lee Favier, chief product officer of Chameleon added: “Our app will offer a quicker and smoother user experience to determine the right heat pump for the right home and inform the customer about the efficiency of the property. Using smart data insights in the app will enable a suitable heat pump to be sized, and cut energy costs after install due to greater efficiencies with time-of-use tariffs and user habits. Optimisation offers the customer features that maintain their comfort, and automatically schedule energy consumption outside peak times to reduce the load on the national grid, taking a significant step towards flexible energy consumption.”
