Heat pumps in real-world housing study

UK: Gedling Green, a regenerative housing project in Nottinghamshire, is employing Panasonic’s Aquarea J Series heat pumps with smart controls.

The development by Keepmoat Homes on the site of the former Gedling colliery comprises 33, two-, three- and four-bedroom affordable new homes.

Part of the government’s Homes England research project, Birmingham City University’s Centre for Future Homes has been commissioned to collect data on the energy and carbon efficiency of the homes to ensure the chosen technology adopted can be scaled up for future developments.

The study will monitor how the Gedling Green homeowners use the technology over the next two years. It aims to establish whether the homes can reduce energy by an estimated 51%, compared with the 2013 Building Regulation standards. Measuring the energy usage and comfort of the privately rented and owned houses using energy monitors, the researchers are hoping to gather concrete evidence to support an expected 91% reduction in carbon output of the homes.

“What’s been discovered from the research we’ve done so far, is that 50% of the challenge is actually in how people live in the properties and how they adapt to it,” commented Mike Leonard, a visiting professor at Birmingham City University.

“Whatever we do with installing and commissioning the heat pumps, if people then don’t understand the technology or adapt to working with it in a different way to, say, a gas boiler, then we don’t get the outcome that we’re trying to achieve.”

The installations were completed by electrical contractors M A Broughton and plumbing company, Nigel Smith.

Looking to meet the government’s Future Homes Standard, Keepmoat Homes received investment from Homes England to promote the advanced delivery of homes designed to the anticipated Future Homes Standard, as well as additional funding from both Halifax and Leeds Building Society to support the evaluation of in occupation feedback from customers. 

The Future Homes Standard building regulations will require new homes to produce 75-80% lower CO2 than current standard builds. To prepare for this transition, all homes on the site have been fitted with air-source heat pumps, solar PV panels, increased insulation levels, electric vehicle charging points and smart hot water cylinders.   

Offering an end-to-end package which included on-site training to the development teams, Panasonic maintained close communication with Keepmoat Homes throughout the project.