Energy crisis lifeline: ‘District’ heat pumps to power whole communities and SLASH costs

However, Mr Hermitage notes, “individual domestic heat pumps are not the only solution.

“The Nordic region has, for some time, been very strong in district heating schemes.”

Such setups, he explained, see the use of “a very large heat pump, for example, to produce hot water, which can feed the heating systems of a number of buildings.”

Critical for the average householder is that district-level heat pumps can be set up such that consumers pay only for the heat they purchase from the pump, and not for the initial setup and installation costs.

Mr Hermitage added: “The beauty of heat pumps is that they can be scaled. They can be applied in a modular approach as well. So, really, the sky’s the limit in terms of how you apply these district heating schemes.

“You could have a very large heat pump, which could be providing heat to potentially some residences, commercial office blocks — may even some municipal buildings and hospitals — in a very effective way.”

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Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1630940/energy-crisis-lifeline-heat-pump-district-whole-communities-slash-bills-britain