Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has visited Glen Dimplex Group's Dublin headquarters and has been introduced to the company's new Quantum electric space and water heating system.
Developed to meet the demands of users, specifiers and energy suppliers alike, the Quantum Energy System comprises the Quantum space heater, a fully electronic, highly controllable 'smart' energy storage appliance, and the Quantum hot water cylinder, a self-learning adaptive 'smart' energy storage water vessel offering superior energy efficiency and performance. The key to the system is the Quantum Hub, an intelligent and completely automatic system manager, which facilitates the bi-directional communication between the Quantum appliances and the energy supply utility.

The Quantum Energy System makes the most of intermittent renewably-generated electricity supplies. The technology will enable electricity system operators and utilities to remotely switch electricity loads, facilitating demand-side management initiatives and helping reduce carbon emissions at a national level.

Mr Cable was interested to learn that the Quantum Energy System has been accepted as a Green Deal measure, thanks to its ability to achieve substantial savings on energy use and running costs. He also seemed impressed by the UK-manufactured system's potential to create jobs, address fuel poverty and offer demand-side management possibilities.

Glen Dimplex ceo, Sean O'Driscoll, said: 'As concerns increase over the security of the UK's energy supply and the challenges of carbon reduction targets, it's important that government and industry work together to find answers. With the electrification of heating flagged up in DECC's heat strategy document* as the only viable way forward, we were delighted to show Mr Cable how these demands translate into real-life low energy heating solutions.'

*Published March 2012