Reference: Getting Warmer: a field trial of heat pumps (2010) Energy Saving Trust

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Abstract or summary

Given the lack of data on heat pump performance in customers’ homes, the Energy Saving Trust undertook the first large-scale heat pump field trial in the UK to determine how heat pumps perform in real-life conditions. The year-long field trial monitored technical performance and customer behaviour observed at 83 sites across the UK.

The findings provide valuable information about the factors that affect the success of a domestic heat pump installation. Instead of revealing outcomes along statistical grounds, or acting as a “brand vs-brand” competition, the field trial findings provide a discussion of key points of interest to potentialconsumers, including:

Measured coefficient of performance (COP) andsystem efficiency

Installation practices (both system design andperformance)

Customer behaviour

Heating patterns and average internal temperatures

Economics

This report makes recommendations for consumers, installers, manufacturers and policy makers, and identifies areas that require additional investigation and research.

CONCERNS & ACTIONS