HEAT PUMP GUIDE


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Could your smartphone be your most useful ‘tool’?


Griff Thomas, director of GTEC Training and new heat pump installation app, heatly, looks at the digital developments making the smart phone the most useful tool in the heat pump installers box


T


he digital world is ubiquitous in all of our lives; some of it bad, but much of it good, streamlining processes, answering questions, simplifying and speeding up tasks. As a practical installer, you might think that that this ‘tech’ is not for you. Times are changing, however, and the tools of your trade are about to get-up-to speed with our internet obsessed world. This is not tech for tech’s sake, either. The latest


developments directly solve many of the issues that arguably act as a barrier to heat pump take-up.


The issues and their solution


Getting spec on-point: First step in heat pump installation is accurate specification, which involves room by room surveying and heat loss calculations – time-consuming tasks that are prone to human error. The accuracy required in these processes is far more important for a heat pump compared with a gas boiler; mistakes at this stage can dramatically effect performance and therefore customer satisfaction. At the moment, these tasks rely on the tape


measure and calculator. In the future, a simple whip round the room with a smart phone will complete a room survey in a matter of seconds. Taking a holistic view: A heat pump is only as good as the system that supports it, and that includes the house. We all know good insulation and double or triple glazed windows will result in a more efficient and cost-effective system. Helping consumers weigh up the return on implementing some of these measures as part of their heating upgrade can be hard to quantify, however. Connected tech of the future will be able to provide


a more holistic view, adjusting outputs based on tweaks to a building – up the insulation thickness and save x on your energy bills, for example – particularly useful in new-builds or where a customer is starting from scratch with their heating system. Consumer confidence: Consumer confidence in heat pumps is a massive stumbling block, with negative stories making the headlines way more than happy customers. It seems that we love ‘bad news’ and tales of warm and satisfied heat pump owners are


Left: Griff Thomas, director of GTEC Training


efficiency and performance, thanks to smart meters and other domestic controls, such as NEST, which have been connecting heating, light and entertainment devices for some time. Anyone with solar pv installed will be familiar with the supporting app that shows power consumption and what’s being transported back to the grid, so an app for a heat pump is something most of your customers will get on board with.


just not that interesting. Ensuring a seamless and successful transition away from fossil fuelled heating starts at the specification stage. Consumers can often have a hard time visualising their new heat pump and concerns over size, noise and where to put the cylinder, are common. 3D visualisation technology, which is used by many industries – kitchen designers and architects, for example – could be the answer to manage expectations and allay concerns before a heat pump is installed. Consumers are already gaining a better


understanding of how the building services in their homes can be used in such a way that optimises


Knowledge saves power


The information and transparency this technology provides not only helps installers, it also assists in creating an informed consumer that contributes to carbon reduction and has more control over what heating and powering their home costs. Heatly is one of a number of digital technologies


currently being supported under the government’s Heat Pump Ready programme. Currently in development, it won’t be long until the smart phone becomes a tool that installers (and their customers) can’t live without.


32 October 2023


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