Fuel poverty charity, National Energy Action (NEA) has published its findings from research commissioned in 2009 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to assess the implications of air source heat pumps (ASHP), on the domestic network infrastructure.
The research has highlighted the need for Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to adopt a more central role in the implementation and distribution of low carbon technologies, such as Air Source Heat Pumps. The role of DNOs was identified as 'central' to implementation of demand-side management or investment in low-carbon technologies including ASHPs.
NEA said: 'In the short term, political backing through incentives such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), due to be launched this year, and increased support and investment for heat pump technology by local authorities, mean better understanding of grid load implications is essential. It is hoped that NEA's research will increase understanding of the potential impact of ASHPs on the grid and encourage both further investigation and increased awareness of key issues identified in this report such as 'harmonics', 'flicker' and 'overloading'.
'In the longer term the Government's Micro-generation strategy has suggested that 40% of the UK's electricity demand and a 15% cut in household energy use could be met by installing micro-generation equipment on all types of buildings by 2050; as a result, micro-CHP and air-source heat pumps were technologies identified as 'best poised' to grow rapidly and deliver meaningful energy and CO2 savings in a supportive policy environment.'
A full copy of the report: Air-source Heat Pumps - Assessing the
implications for the electrical distribution system, can be found at http://www.nea.org.uk/assets/Uploads/Air-Source-Heat-Pump-Project-2010.pdf