Demand response with heat pumps: Practical implementation of three different control options

The electrification of heating and transport and decarbonisation of supply creates a need for demand side flexibility to balance the grid. Heat pumps are expected to form a major part of heat delivery, and many modelling studies have investigated the technical potential of heat pump demand response. However, little empirical work has been reported on the practical implementation of such demand response in occupied homes. This paper presents a cross-case comparison of three early adopters of heat pump demand response in the UK. The aim was to reduce heat pump electricity consumption during the same peak period, but each employed a different control strategy: lowered air temperature setpoints, lowered flow temperature and blocked heat pump compressor. A 56–90% electricity reduction during the peak period was observed; the success of the demand response depended on how the control strategy affected the heat pump and the rest of the heating system. However, no one stakeholder is responsible for all these system components. The fabric, heating distribution and control system and heat pumps installed are highly heterogeneous across the stock, highlighting that flexibility mechanisms must be developed that can be tailored to or work across their range

Technical evaluation of SMETER technologies (TEST) project

This report details work carried out by the Technical Assessment Contractor for the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) during Phase 2 of the Technical Evaluation of SMETER technologies (TEST) Project under the Smart Meter Enabled Thermal Efficiency Ratings (SMETER) Innovation Programme. The Technical Assessment Contractor, referred to here as the TEST team, comprises experts from Loughborough University, Leeds Beckett University, UCL, and Halton Housing