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Join the UK's low-carbon heating revolution

  • 14 July 2020
  • 54 replies
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Join the UK's low-carbon heating revolution
Tim_OVO
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Exciting news!

 

We’ve been chosen by the government to run the UK’s largest zero-carbon heating trial. Now, we’re looking for 250 households in the South East to take part. 

 

If you join, you’ll have your fossil fuel heating system replaced with a brand new one 
full of low-carbon tech – powered by electricity.

 

Here’s the page for you to get more info on this trial, and register your interest to take part.

 

This is our blog post on the trial.

 

We’ll be creating a private space here on our forum, for trialists to share insights and ask/answer questions. So we’re super excited for this to kick off!

 

For now, here’s our Innovations Project Lead, Anna Lewis introducing the concept behind behind this ground breaking trial:

 

 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there!

54 replies

Transparent
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This is very interesting… despite the fact that I’m a hundred miles too far West!

The project appears to combine air-source heat-pumps and water cylinders. It’s certainly good news to see heated storage tanks coming back into houses. Good-bye combi boilers!  :slight_smile:

I guess the house’s existing radiators will still remain. That means the water will need to be heated to 60º+ which is a lot of work for a heat-pump. If the houses had underfloor heating there would be much greater efficiency because you could use water at only 45º.

So the project data will be very interesting. Even though the Kaluza Platform will be doing all it can to buy in the cheapest renewable electricity, the key statistic will be the Coefficient of Efficiency (CoE) for the heat pump.

 

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NinjaGeek
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@Tim_OVO Do you know if the heat pump is quiet? Do you guys have anymore information about the products being used? Maybe PDF files etc?

 

 

Renewable energy + EV enthusiast
Transparent
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You have to do a bit of detective work @ITGeek123 

Have a look at the Trial page and you’ll see a photo of the Air Source Heat Pump with a Mitsubishi logo and the word “Ecodan”.

That leads you to the Ecodan website… from where you can continue your quest for noise specifications.

Simples. :wink:

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NinjaGeek
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You have to do a bit of detective work @ITGeek123 

Have a look at the Trial page and you’ll see a photo of the Air Source Heat Pump with a Mitsubishi logo and the word “Ecodan”.

That leads you to the Ecodan website… from where you can continue your quest for noise specifications.

Simples. :wink:

Too much work for me dude haha. 

Renewable energy + EV enthusiast
Transparent
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Bah! Sorry I forgot you’re Generation-Z :thinking:

Here it is on a plate for you:

Product listing page for the three classes of Mitsubishi Heat Pump

and the following top-level description….

 

Would you like me to click the View Product button for you?

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NinjaGeek
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Bah! Sorry I forgot you’re Generation-Z :thinking:

Here it is on a plate for you:

Product listing page for the three classes of Mitsubishi Heat Pump

and the following top-level description….

 

Would you like me to click the View Product button for you?

I am not Generation-Z haha.

 

I am a millennial xD

 

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Transparent
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Millennial (US) is the amalgamation of Generation-Z and i-Gen.

Generation-Z people are typically the ones you see on The Apprentice, telling Sir Alan Sugar how to run a company. :scream:

Now… back on subject - Have you found the noise-emission specs yet?

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Transparent
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It’s Friday afternoon… I should’ve seen that one coming!

 

Anyways, what I’m trying to prod @ITGeek123 into doing is looking up the noise characteristics of the Mitsubishi PUHZ heat pump.

It’s well worth a look because its ultra-quiet operation just happens to be the major factor on which this product range is marketed! Have a look at the centre pages of the product literature.

 

My only disappointment is that when Mitsubishi invested in 20% of OVO, I was looking forward to an all-electric one of these:

Oh well. Maybe next month! :relaxed:

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Tim_OVO
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Really? 

 

Meh, I’d prefer the E version of this stone cold classic:

 

Mitsubishi Shogun Barbarian SWB 3.2 DI-D

 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there!
Transparent
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But @Tim_OVO - Mitsubishi don’t yet even have an all-electric vehicle in their portfolio. All of theirs are Plug-in Hybrids. No good for V2G is it?!

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N
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What are the timeframes for selecting the 250 properties? When will the successful applicants hear?

Transparent
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Hi @nealmurphy - I know that some have been sent questionnaires already. It all rather depends on whether Anna can find the sort of sites she’s after in just one or two stages of selection.

We also don’t know whether she’s just looking at geographical sites and suitable houses. Possibly she’s also weighing up the people who are most likely to help the Trial go smoothly.

It’s a bit more than merely providing useful feedback. As we’ve seen on the V2G Trial, when things go wrong (and they will!), some customers can cope better than others.

Kaluza will want to have enough time to analyse any system failures. That isn’t helped when there’s a couple of irate customers occupying all the engineering time with complaints that they didn’t get a hot shower when they wanted it!

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N
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Hi @nealmurphy - I know that some have been sent questionnaires already. It all rather depends on whether Anna can find the sort of sites she’s after in just one or two stages of selection.

We also don’t know whether she’s just looking at geographical sites and suitable houses. Possibly she’s also weighing up the people who are most likely to help the Trial go smoothly.

It’s a bit more than merely providing useful feedback. As we’ve seen on the V2G Trial, when things go wrong (and they will!), some customers can cope better than others.

Kaluza will want to have enough time to analyse any system failures. That isn’t helped when there’s a couple of irate customers occupying all the engineering time with complaints that they didn’t get a hot shower when they wanted it!

Thanks for the reply @Transparent that all makes perfect sense. I can understand the team wanting to work with people who were onboard with the project aims. I found out about the trial via Mitsubishi Ecodan and just wanted to check on dates as I don't think the web page gave any details and I don't think there was any confirmation email received after filling out the initial form. I didn't want to start ripping out a gas boiler if there was a chance of still getting on the trial!  Hope it goes well, will be keeping an eye on the results with interest.

Tim_OVO
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I agree, I think the trial is very much in the recruitment phase still @nealmurphy 

 

Applicants are being processed, additional eligibility checks are being sent out to some, in batches (although this is just based on forum users who have told me) and some have already been advised that they are ineligible. 

 

Keep an eye on your emails, make sure to check your spam and junk folder, and I will make sure to update this topics as soon as I hear from the recruitment lead!

 

I can’t wait till we know who’s taking part, and I hope you’re included, Neal. We can come to you for some great content on what’s being fitted and how it’s impacting you! :nerd:

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there!
Jequinlan
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Absolutely desparate to be included in trial. The principle is amazing, am already on v2g trial and have helped with good feedback and its now working brilliantly.  Am an early tech adopter so Absolutely understand things can be a challenge but it is a noble aim for zero carbon and i would love the interaction of this and v2g at once for helping the trial. Just havent heard back...

John Quinlan
Tim_OVO
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I’m super keen to get as many of us community members as part of the trial @Jequinlan - keep an eye on your email inbox, and spam/junk folder! Have you not received any emails from us about it, not even a confirmation email?

 

 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there!
Jequinlan
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Last I had was this:

"

Hi John,

 

Thanks for taking the time to register your interest in our Zero Carbon Home Trial! 

 

We’ve reviewed your survey responses and we’ve found that your home is within the eligible region for this trial. We just wanted to let you know that we’re working on the next steps involved regarding your interest in this trial. We’ll be in touch shortly to let you know more information!" 

 

John Quinlan
Transparent
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Oh that’s interesting @Jequinlan . If Anna’s team were to choose a site that was already on the V2G Trial, then Kaluza would be able to analyse the effects of controlling two devices at the same property.

I think a site on this Smart Heating Trial which also had a Dimplex Quantum Storage Radiator would be a better combination to analyse because they’re both heat-related. But with so few homes having any devices operated by the Kaluza Platform, that’s going to be difficult to arrange.

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Jequinlan
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That is one of many reasons i am desperate to be involved!!

John Quinlan
Transparent
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Good! :slight_smile:

Can you please fill out your Forum Profile page? Although the Moderators can view background info about you, us fellow-customer only get to see what you choose to share. So although I realise that you’re in the UK Power Networks region, I have no better idea of your geographical whereabouts.

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Jequinlan
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Profile updated! I am near Guildford and Horsham in a small village.

John Quinlan
Jequinlan
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Further survey submitted! Hope I qualify!

 

John Quinlan
Transparent
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Ah… this is interesting. Retrofit Works is a non-profit community-based organisation in SE England with a website containing a lot of useful information.

Their Blog page has some provocative comments about who does what when houses are upgraded or refurbished.

So the houses chosen by OVO for the ASHP Heat-Trials will be getting access to some very knowledgeable people who understand a great deal about practical energy efficiency measures in existing dwellings. :slight_smile:

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Ed_OVO
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Fingers crossed @Jequinlan!!! Let us know the outcome!

I'm shocking at energy puns...
A
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I am so hoping we can be part of this, it's exactly what we want to see for the future.

Net Zero is not optional, we have seen year on year average temperatures rising at increased rates for the past 3 decades, we can’t afford to delay any longer.

If things don't change, they stay the same!

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