Cranbrook homes to trial smart home heating

The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) has awarded a £598,860 grant to PassivSystems to develop a new heating platform with WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff that will lead to a reduction in energy demand, heat network operating costs and, ultimately, cut consumer heating bills.

The PassivSystems-designed smart home heating platform will be field tested in association with E.ON.

The new technology will introduce a direct digital link between homes and the energy centres that supply them with heat. This will be done through an in-home hub that collects data on heat usage and external weather conditions and uses complex algorithms to optimise heating supply over the day. 

The ability to optimise supply will result in lower operating costs as network pumping energy and heat losses will be reduced. Furthermore, reducing demand peaks (as a result of the optimisation) will lead to capital cost reductions by enabling network distribution pipework and heat production plant to be downsized.

This smart home heating platform will be trialled in 30 homes at Cranbrook, East Devon where E.ON’s Community Energy business is the heat supply utility.

The PassivSystems/WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff project was one of nine selected from 57 heat network research proposals seeking support from DECC’s small business research initiative.  Through this programme, DECC plans to bring the UK a step closer to generating 14% of heat demand through heat networks by 2030.

Colin Calder, founder and CEO at PassivSystems said: “Heat networks have an important role to play in delivering the UK’s low carbon future. PassivSystems has developed advanced technologies that allow heating loads to be optimised for comfort delivery while accounting for network constraints. By applying this technology to heat networks we will reduce operating costs, cut customer bills and help to drive heat network adoption.”

Dominic Bowers, Director of Energy Solutions at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff said:  “We are delighted to be part of this exciting research project with PassivSystems; their technology is at the forefront of the latest home energy control platforms. Use of intelligent controls to drive down operating costs and reduce network costs will improve the viability of heat networks, and reduce carbon emissions whilst cutting bills for consumers.”

Tim Rook, Head of Design at E.ON’s Community Energy business, added: “The Cranbrook and Skypark developments were designed from the outset to provide lower carbon and cost effective energy for customers. I hope that through this trial we can prove the smart technology needed to make such schemes more efficient and provide greater environmental and cost benefits to customers.”