The winning projects chosen to boost heat network innovation

The government wants heat networks to supply 14 per cent of the UK’s heat demand by 2030 and 43 per cent by 2050. This will require a “considerable expansion” of the UK’s existing 2,000 networks, according to renewable tech firm Zero Carbon Future.

Local authorities are already building 150 schemes across the UK with more in the pipeline and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) says its latest competition will help to stimulate innovation in heat network technologies and bring the UK a step closer to its goals.

Last month, Decc announced the final winning projects, all of which aim to improve the performance of heat networks and encourage greater uptake of renewable heat sources.

The victors will use the money in the coming months to carry out rigorous trials, demonstrating how their technology will achieve this:

Eon Sustainable Energy – £1,394,631

Eon Sustainable Energy’s project seeks to improve the performance of heat networks by demonstrating how large-scale solar thermal and heat pump systems can work alongside existing combined heat and power (CHP) district heating schemes.

The firm will design and build a large-scale solar thermal and heat pump system at the existing Cranbrook energy centre, which is already fitted with rooftop solar PV panels.

The project will seek to incorporate electricity generated by panels and CHP to power the heat pump, providing a low-carbon energy source to replace mains power.

“In years to come the integrated technology we are pioneering here could be replicated in existing and new-build district heating schemes across the country and would make a significant contribution to easing the impact on the environment which comes from domestic heating,” said Tim Rook, head of design for community energy at Eon.

After having carried out initial feasibility studies, the project is now in advance planning stages and hopes to start installing technology in late summer.

Geothermal Engineering – £858,060

Geothermal Engineering aims to demonstrate the potential for single well deep geothermal heat to be used in smaller scale heat networks, a technology which could be used across the UK.

Geothermal Engineering will drill and install a demonstrator deep geothermal single well heat system at the Crewe campus of Manchester Metropolitan University, to build on the successful trial of the system in an existing well in 2014.

Managing director Ryan Law said: “I am delighted that Decc has chosen to support us in the development of the deep geothermal single well system. The funding will help us to drill and develop a fully operational demonstrator site linked to a heat load. This will give us the opportunity to show that our single well technology can deliver sustainable, renewable heat throughout the UK.”

Clean Energy Prospector – £694,439

The partners, led by Clean Energy Prospector, will trial a small-scale, modular energy centre in Bristol which uses air source heat pumps matched to surplus solar PV to charge an inter-seasonal borehole thermal storage array.

The technology captures summer heat and stores it to supply heat in winter via district heat networks. This reduces impact on the grid from electric heat by shifting electricity consumption from times of peak winter demand to times of surplus summer solar generation, providing new opportunities for energy service companies to package and sell renewable heat.

The project combines inter-seasonal heat storage technology from ICAX, energy-vector research from the University of Bath, Clean Energy Prospector’s operations, monitoring and billing platform and full life cycle assessment by energy consultancy, Eunomia. The team will be working closely with Easton Community Centre and Easton Energy Group at the proposed site in Bristol.

PassivSystems – £598,860

PassivSystems will develop a new heating platform that will lead to a reduction in energy demand and heat network operating costs, with the ultimate aim of cutting consumer bills.

The smart home heating platform will be trialled in 30 homes in East Devon, where Eon’s Community Energy business is the heat supplier.

Founder and chief executive Colin Calder said: “Heat networks have an important role to play in delivering the UK’s low carbon future. PassivSystems has developed advanced technologies that allow heating loads to be optimised for comfort delivery while accounting for network constraints. By applying this technology to heat networks we will reduce operating costs, cut customer bills and help to drive heat network adoption.”

Guru Systems – £569,400

Guru Systems will develop tools which analyse big data on decentralised energy networks.

The project will apply data mining algorithms to performance data, obtained from innovative smart meters, to diagnose performance issues with existing heating networks. Once those issues are identified, measures will be applied to improve performance of the network.

The firm says by capturing and learning from big data, it can uncover hidden energy-use patterns and identify untapped energy efficiency opportunities, as well as enable companies to increase customer engagement.

Guru has estimated the software could save UK heat networks £400 million in reduced energy costs over the next 10 years.

Managing director Casey Cole said: “Losses on district heat networks can be a big issue for the increasing number of landlords and developers looking to build district heating systems into their schemes. Now, thanks to support from Decc, district heat networks have been brought into the 21st century, ensuring we can deliver energy-efficient, cost-effective networks that work for everyone.”

Zero Carbon Future – £378,780

Zero Carbon Future says its project will demonstrate a heat network controls system to increase the ease of management of heat networks with single and multiple heat generating technologies.

Zero managing director Finian Parrick says: “This is brilliant news, as it means our development team can move forward with our project.

“We will encourage the use of heat networks and drive down energy bills while boosting low-carbon heat supplies in the UK. We are passionate about advancing low-carbon heating technologies. This grant will help us do exactly that.

“The opportunities and potential for renewable energy are significant – but this potential needs to be unlocked. Our grant from Decc will help to do just that – and it is a very welcome move in the right direction.”

Coheat – £349,860

Cambridge-based energy tech company Coheat will trial the use of hybrid energy centres using heat pumps for baseload and gas boilers for peaking, to provide economic low carbon heat for schemes as small as 20 to 250 houses, where combined heat and power (CHP) solutions aren’t viable.

The solution claims to reduce the total costs of heating by 50 per cent because, while conventional networks might need 500 homes to be economically viable, the firm’s 5G technology allows smaller housing developments to benefit from community heating schemes.

Coheat managing director James Verrill says: “The development of this technology supports the government’s aims to deliver future-proof, affordable, low-carbon community heat for both landlords and tenants.”

Technical director Marko Cosic adds that the level of integration used by Coheat allows them to use advanced algorithms for thermal storage and load management, “reducing the cost of heat networks while improving the user experience and energy efficiency”.

Sycous – £121,925

Sycous will install metering networks enabling heat network operators to improve the performance of their heat network using a cloud-based software platform.

The project, formally due for completion in February next year, will install the software in 250 properties at a demonstration site in Lancashire and will compare the results with a control site where the technology is not being used.

The project aims to change consumer behaviour by offering innovative tariffs and different ways of presenting information on bills, to encourage consumers to use their energy in a smarter way to reduce consumption and contribute to the increased efficiency of the whole system.

Deputy chairman Joe Collier said: “We hope to collect enough data to start doing consumer modelling, so that we can generate computer models that help us to understand what drives consumer decision making and what we can do to have a positive impact on it.”