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Researchers launch new heat pump technology claimed to address issues that have hindered widespread adoption

Academics have developed a modified heat pump that is claimed to overcome many of the challenges that have held back wider take-up of the technology across the UK’s housing stock.

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University of Glasgow’s Professor Zhibin Yu led the research on advances in heat pump technology
University of Glasgow’s Professor Zhibin Yu led the research on advances in heat pump technology
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A team of @UofGlasgow researchers have developed new heat pump technology that they say overcomes many of the issues that have hindered take-up across #UKhousing

The team from the University of Glasgow have created a new “flexible” heat pump that features an integrated heat-storage system, which the researchers say can significantly reduce power consumption.

The team is currently seeking partners to accelerate its development. 

Researchers described the performance advantages of the revised heat pump as being similar to those of condensing gas boilers compared with traditional models. 

Existing heat pumps, especially air-source models, can suffer from reduced efficiency in colder weather. Coupled with high installation costs and the poor insulation of most UK homes, this has inhibited their adoption. 

Gas boilers are still fitted in almost 90% of homes in the UK, and many social landlords are pursuing a ‘fabric-first’ approach that prioritises improving buildings’ thermal performance. 

Earlier this year, Inside Housing reported that advances in heat pump technology had the potential to rapidly shift housing associations’ calculations, but that some crucial new systems were so far unavailable in the UK. 


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A paper by the Glasgow researchers that was published in the Communications Engineering journal explained how augmenting heat pumps with a small water tank and a copper coil can provide a “low-cost” solution to the challenges of the technology. 

The water tank recovers some excess thermal energy produced during the pump’s operation, storing it as an additional heat source for the heat pump’s operation later. 

The recovered heat has a much higher temperature than the surrounding outdoor air and can be reused as a temporary heat source – substantially reducing the pump’s power consumption, a statement on behalf of the team said. 

It added that under some conditions, the new technology could be up to 10% more efficient than the existing generation of heat pumps. 

Zhibin Yu, a professor of thermal energy at University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, who led the research, said: “We’re at a critical juncture in our global move towards net zero, where we need to start scaling up our low-carbon infrastructure quickly and effectively. 

“That urgency is being particularly keenly felt at the moment, where energy prices are rising and many households are facing rapidly escalating bills.”

He added: “The advantages of the flexible heat pump against current heat pump products is analogous to the advantages of condensing boiler against the non-condensing boiler – both recover excess heat to greatly improve efficiency.

“The cost of a small water tank heat storage is marginal, but the power saving is significant. It can be widely applied for all kinds of the heat pump applications [and] we believe that this could help drive improved take-up of heat pump technology in homes across the UK.”

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