Green Heat (And Cooling) Under Our Feet - Ep154: Tamsin Lishman
Feb 14, 2024
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Tamsin Lishman, CEO of Kensa Group, discusses ground source heat pumps as a solution for decarbonizing domestic heating in the UK. They explore the efficiency and installation process of heat pumps, barriers to implementation, and the importance of policy signals and consumer choice. The chapter also highlights the challenges faced by Kensa, their partnerships, and Tamsin's experience as a female leader in the energy industry. They also touch on the benefits of geothermal energy for heating and cooling.
Network heat pumps offer a versatile and cost-effective solution for decarbonizing heat at scale, providing both heating and cooling options and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Ground source heat pumps are a highly efficient and reliable technology for heating and cooling homes, offering higher efficiency, lower lifecycle costs, and stable heat throughout the year.
Deep dives
The Advantages of Network Heat Pumps for Decarbonizing Heat
Network heat pumps, such as the ones offered by UK company Kenza Group, are a potential solution for decarbonizing heat at scale. These heat pumps are highly efficient, using electricity to extract heat from the ground and distribute it to homes via pipes. Compared to fossil fuel-based heating systems, network heat pumps offer several advantages. They are more cost-effective for consumers, reduce energy demand, and have lower life cycle costs. They can also provide both heating and cooling, making them versatile for year-round comfort. Kenza Group aims to grow its network heat pump solutions, create jobs, and implement area-by-area decarbonization.
The Importance of Network Heat Pumps in Decarbonization
Network heat pumps offer a critical solution in the decarbonization of heat in buildings. With network heat pumps, communities can transition away from fossil fuel-dependent systems, making heating more affordable, efficient, and environmentally friendly. By integrating boreholes and shared pipes connected to individual homes, network heat pumps represent an infrastructure-based approach to decarbonizing heat. Kenza Group, along with partnerships with investors like octopus and legal and general, aims to scale the implementation of network heat pump systems, enabling cost savings for consumers and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The Innovative Approach and Benefits of Ground Source Heat Pumps
Kenza Group specializes in ground source heat pumps, which represent a highly efficient and reliable technology for heating and cooling homes. Ground source heat pumps extract heat from the ground, using it to warm homes and provide hot water. The technology is designed to be simple, robust, and long-lasting. Compared to air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps offer higher efficiency, lower lifecycle costs, and provide a stable and consistent heat source throughout the year. They can also help reduce demand on the electricity grid and have the additional benefit of providing cooling during the summer months.
Challenges, Policies, and Scaling Opportunities for Network Heat Pumps
While network heat pumps offer significant benefits, there are challenges and policy considerations to address. One challenge involves increasing awareness and understanding of the efficiency gains and system-level benefits of network heat pumps. To promote adoption, policies like heat network zoning and mechanisms like the Clean Heat Mechanism are crucial. Heat network zoning designates areas for heat networks, integrating network heat pumps as an efficient solution. The Clean Heat Mechanism encourages the transition to heat pumps by providing financial incentives. Scaling network heat pump systems requires partnerships, a compelling business model, and support for drilling and installation service providers. By addressing these challenges and supporting the growth of network heat pumps, the decarbonization of heat can become more accessible and affordable for consumers.
Tamsin Lishman joins Bryony this week to talk heat pumps. Tamsin is CEO of Kensa Group, a Cornwall-based manufacturer and installer of ground source heat pumps. Kensa is the UK's only manufacturer of ground source heat pumps. Both air source and ground source heat pumps are rapidly growing technologies, and Tamsin believes that Kensa's heat pumps can - and will - be deployed to electrify domestic heating in the UK. On a recent episode of Cleaning Up, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, argued that heat pumps are "the closest thing to a silver bullet" we have in the race to net-zero. In over two decades, Kensa has saved over 1 million tonnes of carbon through ground source heat pump installations. The Kensa Group is partly owned by Legal & General Capital, part of Legal & General PLC, and Octopus Energy.
Tamsin was appointed CEO of Kensa Group in July 2023. Previously, she had stints at EnergyNest and Centrica. She holds a Master of Engineering from Oxford University.
Links
See Kensa's website here: https://www.thekensagroup.com
Read the IEA's report on the future of heat pumps: https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-heat-pumps (For UK viewers)
Check out the UK government's tool to see if a heat pump could be suitable for your home: https://www.gov.uk/check-heat-pump
Read this Guardian piece on heat pump installations in the UK: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/08/greener-cheaper-much-warmer-heat-pump-owners-laud-their-new-system
Read about Kensa's recent fundraise of £70m from Octopus and Legal&General, with the help of EcoPragma Capital, here: https://www.kensaheatpumps.com/news-blog/pump-it-up-octopus-energy-and-legal-general-make-britains-biggest-investment-in-ground-source-heat-pumps/
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