HEAT PUMPS


industry, using a system that was traditionally used in fl ats but is now increasingly used in houses is a way of decarbonising homes that might otherwise be unsuitable for conventional systems.


Storage and fl exibility The other piece of the puzzle is thermal storage. We often talk about the grid challenge as if it is someone else’s problem, but the reality is that the way heating technology interacts with the electricity supply will defi ne its success. On a household level, pairing heat pumps with thermal


storage allows homeowners to take advantage of time of use tariff s, charging when electricity is cheap and clean and using that stored heat when it is needed. For installers, it creates a clear customer benefi t: lower bills and more control. For the grid, it means less pressure during peak times. And this is not just experience talking. Thermal storage has been formally identifi ed in the UK’s decarbonisation pathway as a critical part of net zero. The Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget (2020) called out domestic hot water and space heating storage as essential for shifting demand away from peaks. The National Grid ESO Future Energy Scenarios (2023) emphasised that fl exible heating, especially through storage, will play a major role in integrating more renewables onto the system. Even at the European level, the REPowerEU Plan (2022) highlighted large-scale heat storage as a key tool in reducing fossil gas dependency and balancing seasonal demand.


That means what might feel like a local benefi t, a


homeowner saving money by heating water off -peak, is actually part of a much bigger national and European strategy. Thermal storage is one of the bridges between individual households and the wider decarbonisation eff ort.


Installer confi dence is key From the installer’s perspective, the real test of any new technology is how quickly you can get it working on site and how confi dent you feel leaving it with the customer. Systems that are overly complex, that require carrying dozens of spare parts or that cannot be diagnosed remotely are the ones that create frustration. The BEIS Electrifi cation of Heat Demonstration Project (2022) showed that customer satisfaction was highest when systems were simple to use, easy to maintain and supported by responsive after-sales service. My own experience echoes this: technologies that simplify commissioning, standardise components and allow remote monitoring make life easier for installers and improve customer trust. At Qvantum, we have put these principles into practice with our design approach. Around 80% of the components in the QE exhaust air heat pump are shared across our product range, which means installers do not need to carry a van full of diff erent spares, just the common parts that are already widely stocked. That speeds up fi rst-time fi xes and reduces downtime for homeowners. We have also designed the refrigerant module to connect


via hydronic couplings, so if a replacement is ever needed, an engineer can swap it without specialist F-Gas handling. That


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lowers the skills barrier and speeds up repairs. In short, we have tried to take friction out of the process so installers can focus on getting the job done right the fi rst time.


It is these kinds of thoughtful details, shared components, modularity and reliance on common stock items, that I believe will make or break installer confi dence in heat pump technology. And without installer confi dence, wide-scale adoption will remain out of reach.


Shaping the next phase of adoption For me, the key lesson is this: if we want to scale up heat pumps in the UK, we need to stop thinking only in terms of kilowatts and COP ratings. We need to think about practicality, adaptability and scalability. That means designing for smaller spaces. It means building in fl exibility for both


households and the grid. And it means supporting installers with training, digital tools and straightforward service models. As the European Heat Pump Association Market Report (2025) makes clear, the biggest growth opportunities in heat pumps lie not only in boosting effi ciency but in embedding connectivity, fl exibility and user friendliness. Manufacturers have a responsibility here, not just to innovate but to make sure innovation is accessible to the people fi tting these systems every day.


Looking forward I believe the next wave of heat pump adoption will be driven less by raw effi ciency numbers and more by concepts like exhaust air recovery, integrated ventilation, modularity and thermal storage. These are the ideas that make systems easier to install, cheaper to maintain and smarter for the energy system as a whole.


At Qvantum, that is the philosophy we have built into our


own product design, but more importantly, it is the philosophy I think the whole industry needs to embrace if we are going to meet net-zero targets.


As installers and manufacturers, our job is to bring those concepts into real homes in a way that works for both households and the wider decarbonisation journey. That is the conversation we should be having, not just about heat pumps as products but heat pumps as part of a bigger energy solution.


"From my experience supporting installers across the UK, I believe the way


forward is not simply about making heat pumps more effi cient."


Qvantum’s QE exhaust air heat pump with QS energy heat recovery ventilation module.


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