Samsung and the city of Oxford in the UK have announced a trial of a neighborhood heat pump system in Rose Hill, Oxford. The project aims to connect communities with local installers, helping to remove key barriers to heat pump adoption, including cost. Up to 150 Samsung air source heat pumps will be installed at a discounted price of GBP 2,600 ($3,185).
“The two Samsung air source heat pumps offered to residents are Samsung EHS Monobloc and Samsung EHS HT Quiet,” a Samsung spokesperson said. pv magazine. The heating and cooling power of the EHS Monobloc is 5 kW and the coefficient of performance (COP) is 4.85 at 35 C and 2.83 at 55 C. EHS HT Quiet has a heating and cooling power of 8 kW to 14 kW, with a coefficient of performance between 5 and 5.05 at 35 C. Both solutions use R32 as refrigerant.
“When choosing a heat pump for each house, the standard heat loss calculation, specification and design process is followed in order to select the right heat pump power for each house. The installer partner for this project, Alto Energy, is working to ensure this,” said a Samsung spokesperson.
The Clean Heat Streets project investigates whether heat pump installations would be faster, cheaper and easier for both suppliers and residents when they are installed on a street-by-street basis. It also tests how large a number of heat pumps can be installed in a certain area without, for example, generating very high electricity demand peaks on winter evenings. The heat pumps will be connected to two substations in Rose Hill, Courtland Road and Fiennes Road.
“The innovative project ultimately aims to create a more streamlined approach to installation by establishing a network of skilled installers and saving time, money and resources – all of which are key barriers to installing heat pump technology,” Oxford City Council said in a statement.
According to the council, installing a heat pump can cost between £7,000 and £13,000. The project will reduce the cost of the cheapest heat pump by around £2,600, the council said, adding that owner-occupied, private rented and social housing will be targeted.
The “Clean Heat Streets” project is based on the work of a six-month feasibility study, in which an energy mapping method was developed to identify houses suitable for installing heat pumps and the main obstacles to the introduction of heat pumps in Ruusukukkula were studied. Households in the Ruusukukkula area are being sought for the project. More information can be found here.
Oxford Brookes University, Oxfordshire County Council, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), GenGame and Passiv UK are also part of the consortium.
