The Neat Heat trial ran for 18 months and involved installing tepeo’s Zero Emission Boiler (ZEB), which uses heat battery technology, into customers' homes in the Southeast and East of England. The findings clearly demonstrated that heat batteries, an all-electric low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel boilers, can provide grid flexibility by shifting peak energy demand for heating to off-peak times by up to 95 percent. This means that homes could be efficiently heated even in the depths of winter, whilst providing substantial carbon savings of ~15,600 kgCO2e compared to if these homes were using gas boilers instead.
By utilising the thermal storage capability of the ZEB, the trial showed homes could ‘charge’ their heating systems outside of the most expensive hours of the day, with heat being released on demand when needed. At launch, the project attracted more than 2,000 registrations of interest for the limited spaces available, evidencing a strong demand from UK customers for new alternatives to fossil fuel heating.
The trial was built around an innovative proposition developed by OVO called a ‘type of use’ add-on, giving customers access to a cheaper (than standard) rate to charge their ZEBs. Customers could also set their ZEBs to charge during the cheapest times during the day, making it simple for the customer and enabling flexibility for the grid.
Using this first-of-its-kind type of use, the Neat Heat trial showed 95 percent of a trialist’s yearly heating demand could be moved outside of peak hours, where demand on the grid was highest, including over 90 percent in the coldest weeks in winter. All homes who participated in the trial experienced no noticeable change to their heating — with the ZEB providing a similar experience as a traditional boiler, but powered entirely by electricity.
Green solutions such as the ZEB could play an important role in decarbonising home heating. They are ideal for the estimated 20 percent+ of UK homes which lack the space required for low carbon solutions like heat pumps or where these solutions could prove difficult to retrofit. All homes involved in the trial also benefited from quick installations with minimal disruptions, taking on average one-to-two days. All trialists have also opted to continue with their new ZEB heating solution rather than reverting back to a fossil fuel boiler.
“Being able to move electricity demand away from peak hours is huge for both our network and customers” said Head of Innovation at UK Power Networks, Luca Grella. “The more people move to electric heating systems, the more resilient our network will need to be. Shifting demand away from peak hours will reduce the upgrades needed to keep up with the future demand of green technologies, which would ultimately have been paid for by customers across the country. We hope this also opens the door to further low carbon solutions which we know they are keen to adopt.”
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