PHAM NEWS | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025 12 Energy Matters Views on green energy


Study shows the benefits of remote operation


New data has revealed that less than 10% of UK consumers are ‘very confident’ about the benefits green heating and insulation products can deliver. The polling conducted by the Trust Alliance Group revealed the perceived price of green heating and insulation products is the biggest barrier to confidence currently, followed by the need for warranties/ guarantees and the qualifications of installers. While confidence may be low, awareness of products is relatively high.


When asked about which products they were aware of, solar panels (85%) and home insulation (80%) products were the most common for respondents. On the other hand, two thirds (65%) and over a half (52%) of people were not aware of biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps, respectively. Another area cited as a confidence driver is regulation, with over a third


of consumers stating they would feel more confident should a governing body be introduced. The green heating and insulation sector is currently not regulated by an industry body, unlike the rest of the energy sector, which is regulated by Ofgem. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/125/13


Remote control operation of heat pumps to avoid expensive electricity peak demand periods can save households money and reduce carbon emissions while keeping the home warm, new research has found. The innovation foundation Nesta partnered with research institute Centre for Net Zero (CNZ) to conduct a randomised control trial to find out how much remotely operated automation can reduce household electricity consumption by shifting usage during times of peak demand. Half of the 43 volunteer


homeowners recruited for the trial had their heat pumps remotely controlled for four-hour periods. For the first two hours, the heat pumps were used to ‘preheat’ homes, raising the internal temperature. For the second two hours, the heat pumps were turned down, with the aim of reducing household electricity consumption from the grid at a time of peak demand. The trial found that remotely


controlling participants’ heat pumps to flex consumption around peak demand led to an average 74% reduction of typical heat pump electricity consumption. The average internal temperature


in the homes of those who took part in the four-hour ‘events’ increased by 0.85°C during the two hours when the homes were preheated before the heat pumps were turned down for two hours. The internal temperature was still on average 0.16°C higher at the end of that second two-hour period, compared to the start of the preheating period, demonstrating that preheating helped maintain the internal temperatures of homes. The majority of participants were


happy with the internal temperature of their home, with eight in 10 participants (81%) surveyed afterwards saying that they were either “Satisfied” or “Very satisfied” with the temperature in their home. Andy Regan, senior mission


manager for sustainable future at Nesta, says: “Heat pumps are the most efficient low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel boilers for keeping people’s homes warm. Crucially, remote control automation could be scaled up to reduce the cost of upgrading the electricity grid to meet higher electricity demand as people switch away from fossil fuel heating.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/125/14


The All New PINNACLE & SYNERGY Boilers from Vokèra


TAKE YOUR REWARDS TO NEW HEIGHTS


For each multiple mix installation of three SYNERGY or PINNACLE boilers


Scan the QR codes to watch our product videos


Visit www.vokeraaffinity.co.uk to find out more. Promotion runs from 1st September to 31st March 2025. T&Cs apply


Receive DOUBLE POINTS up to a value


£180


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44