Transitioning from Conventional Boilers to Heat Pumps: A Comparative Exploration of the Socio-cultural Lived Experiences of Different Heating Systems

Aim: In order to promote successful heat pump uptake in the UK, the research aims to establish the socio-cultural barriers, motivations and enablers of heat pump use. The following research questions are addressed under this aim:

RQ1: What is it like to live with a heat pump according to adopters of the technology?
RQ2: Does the lived experience with a heat pump differ from life with a boiler, and if so, how?
RQ3: What insights can be drawn from analysis of the lived experience with a heat pump compared with a boiler to promote a successful transition from conventional boilers to heat pumps?

The following objectives and methodology are employed to address these questions:

Objectives and methodology:

[Phase 1]
1. A literature review will identify socio-technical factors which might influence the lived experience of the heating system, and which could act as barriers, motivators and enablers of heat pump uptake.
2. A grounded theory approach will underpin the ethnographic exploration of the lived experience of occupants with a boiler and those with a heat pump, their feelings associated with their current heating system and perceptions of the alternative, and identify those key points of difference which might help or hinder heat pump uptake.

[Phase 2]
3. Establish whether and how thermal perceptions might differ between heat pump and boiler households by mapping indoor thermal satisfaction onto heating patterns, exploring the use of the heating system and monitoring heating patterns in boiler and heat pump households. Temperature monitoring coupled with ethnographic analysis will determine how these factors relate to the lived experience.

[Phase 3]
4. A second review of data collected will identify the key points of difference between boiler and heat pump adopter perspectives to propose a set of policy and industry recommendations addressing socio-cultural barriers and motivations to heat pump uptake, to aid a successful transition from boilers to heat pumps.

Outcomes:
By comparing the experience of gas, smart controlled gas, hybrid heat pump and standalone heat pump occupants, the research will make a novel contribution to previous work understanding how to promote heat pump uptake. It will enable the benefits of heat pumps to be communicated from the adopter perspective to current non- and pre-adopters, and the identification of factors ensuring the transition towards heat pump technology brings positive experiences to households. A possible outcome is the identification of a particular heat pump technology most capable of attracting pre-adopter conversion and securing a positive post-adoption experience.

The low carbon energy systems needed to achieve the Government's carbon 2050 reduction targets promise declining generation costs, but at the price of inflexibility and intermittency. The challenge is to contain costs and improve energy system security, by building in resilience. The opportunities include: more efficient energy conversion, networks and storage technologies; improved energy control and management systems; integration of energy performance into modern methods of construction; improved measurement, display and control systems; and new business models. This will bring pervasive economic benefits: the creation of new intellectual property and expertise; businesses with the ability to compete in the huge new markets for energy efficiency and resilience, both in the UK and overseas; healthier and more productive places to work and live; and a means to address social hardship and inequalities, such as fuel poverty, which affects the health and wellbeing of society's most vulnerable. Seizing these opportunities requires leaders with multi-disciplinary knowledge, skills and whole-system perspective to break down restrictive, sector-specific silos, and drive innovation. The ERBE CDT will train such leaders.

The short and medium term impacts of the ERBE CDT will arise during the training of these leaders and through their research outputs and collaborations. These will include, but are not be restricted to: new approaches to analysis; new insights derived from large datasets; new modelling methods and ways of using existing models; new experimental techniques; field and laboratory measurement techniques; improved socio-technical methods; new manufacturing methods, devices, primary data sets, and patents; and, together with our industrial stakeholders, the integration of research into the business innovation process.

The longer term impacts will be realised over the next 40 years as ERBE graduates take on influential roles in diverse organisations, including:
- national and local governmental organisations that are developing affordable and socially acceptable evidence-based energy policies;
- energy supply and services companies that are charged with delivering a clean reliable and economical system, through deployment of energy efficiency products and technologies within an evolving energy system architecture;
- technology companies that are developing new components for energy generation and storage, new heating, cooling and ventilation systems, and smart digital controls and communications technology;
- industries that are large consumers of fuel and power and need to reduce their energy demand and curb the emission of greenhouse gases and pollutants;
- consultancies that advise on the design of energy systems, non-domestic building design and urban masterplans;
- facilities managers, especially those in large organisations such as retail giants, the NHS, and education, that are charged with reducing energy demand and operating costs to meet legally binding and organisational targets;
- standards organisations responsible for regulating the energy and buildings sectors through the creation of design guides and regulatory tools;
- NGOs and charities responsible for promoting, enabling and effecting energy demand reduction schemes;
- health and social care providers, who need to assure thermal comfort and indoor air quality, especially as our population ages and we adopt more flexible healthcare models.

The realisation of these benefits requires people with specific skills and an understanding of the associated ethical, health & safety, regulatory, legal, and social diversity and inclusion issues. Most importantly, they must have the ability to look at problems from a new perspective, to conceive, and develop new ideas, be able to navigate the RD&D pathway, and have the ability to articulate their intentions and to convince others of their worth; the ERBE CDT will develop these capabilities.