Heat pumps
Analysis of domestic heat pumps
As part of the Demand Scenarios project, we have worked with DELTA EE to improve our understanding of how domestic customers switching their heating to heat pumps could affect the load on our network in winter. This analysis feeds into our demand scenarios.
It was found that heat pump uptake in our region could add 0.85 –3.5 GW of new load at peak times by 2050, depending on the uptake scenario and outside temperature. We will innovate and invest to ensure our network has enough capacity for the connection of heat pumps and other low carbon technologies.
As part of this work we developed a set of load profiles for domestic heat pumps, based on diversifying the results of building physics modelling of heat pump operation, for six combinations of ‘heat pump – house type’ (three air-source heat pumps and three hybrids). Local effects on our network will crucially depend on the type of heat pumps connected.
Work with Imperial College highlighted that if suppliers or system operators send signals to change the timing of heat pump operation to maximise consumption of low cost renewable electricity, this could increase the impact on the distribution network.
The final phase of the project investigated how we could take customer-orientated measures to mitigate the impact of how heat pumps will increase peak loads on our network.
A webinar held on 14 July 2016 shared the findings from the heat pump part of the project.