The long-heralded announcement of Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel cell on 24 February generated huge amounts of excitement. Many compared the launch of the Bloom Box to the arrival of a new Apple product. Is it an innovative as the company claims?
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Tags: Bloom Box, Bloom Energy, Ceramic Fuel Cells, Ceres Power, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Mitsubishi Ecodan. Image source: Ecodan brochure.
Small heat pumps are increasingly used to provide space and water heating in UK homes. This trend is strongly encouraged by policy-makers and the government’s proposed Renewable Heat Incentive will add further financial support. The enthusiasm for this expensive technology should be moderated: for a home on the mains gas network, the savings in money will be small. Carbon benefits are probable but far from guaranteed. Moreover, air source heat pumps are unlikely to be able to heat many older homes effectively. Government, manufacturers, and installers need to be very much more cautious in encouraging the use of heat pumps and should use far more conservative payback assumptions. Heat pumps will eventually be a good investment for homeowners but probably not yet.
Tags: ASHPs, Carbon Trust, carbon reduction initiatives, Ceramic Fuel Cells, domestic, domestic heat pumps, Ecodan, energy efficiency, Energy Saving Trust, housing, Ice Energy, Mitsubishi, National Grid, Renewable Heat Incentive, technology
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