Information about research study
Background
The heat pump lab is part the UK Energy Demand Observatory and Laboratory, which seeks to move us towards a fair and successful zero-carbon future by collecting and sharing energy use data for research and policy.
Heat pumps are likely to be an important technology for reducing carbon emissions in the UK. We would like to understand the energy use of heat pumps, how they are used by households, and whether households are happy with them. We would also like to understand how these things change over time.
What we are looking for
We are looking for up to a hundred households with heat pumps, who are willing to share heat pump and smart meter data with researchers for up to 2 years.
Detail about the data collection
There are two main parts to the data collection:
Collecting heat pump data over the internet
Collecting smart meter and indoor temperature data over the internet
Additionally we will interview a small group of households about their experiences of their heat pump.
You can read more about the different kinds of data collection below:
- Heat pump data collected over the internet
Many heat pumps are internet connected and share information about how they’re operating with the heat pump manufacturer. With your consent, the manufacturer will give us access to this data remotely: - Electricity consumption - Temperature of water around the heating system - Operating conditions (for example, when the heat pump is heating hot water or radiators) This level of participation can be completed remotely. You would not need to do anything other than consent, and we would not need to visit you at home.
- Smart meter and indoor temperature data collected over the internet
We will post you a device you can plug into a normal socket, which collects: - Indoor air temperature and relative humidity in one room (measured every 1 minute) - Smart meter data from your whole home (measured every 1 minute) This level of participation can also be completed remotely. You would not need to do anything other than consent and plug in the smart meter monitor, and we would not need to visit you at home.
Additional participation:
In a small number of households, we will carry out two interviews with one or more adult household members. You can tell us whether you would like to take part. The first interview will be carried out at the start of the project, in your home.
One year later, we would like to carry out a second interview via video call, or in your homes if video calls are difficult for you. Both interviews will focus on your experience of living with a heat pump – for example, how well it meets your needs, how you use it, and how you found the transition from your previous heating system. Each interview will last around one hour and will be recorded. When we visit your home in the first interview, you can choose to show us around different rooms if you are comfortable with this.
What are the benefits of taking part?
We’ll give you shopping vouchers to say thank you, depending on the kinds of data we collect:
Heat pump data, smart meter data and indoor temperature data collected over the internet: £40
Heat pump data, smart meter data and indoor temperature data collected over the internet, plus two interviews with you: £80
The different values of the shopping vouchers reflect how much effort we expect it would take you to help us with each type of data collection.
As well as the shopping vouchers you will receive, the benefit of participating is to inform research which will shape heat pump deployment in other homes, through policy and heat pump system design.
Where will the data from my home be stored and how will it be used?
Your data will be securely stored by UCL and the University of Oxford for 5 years, and will only be accessible by the EDOL research team. Following this, name and address files will be deleted and heat pump data will be retained anonymously. This study has been registered with and approved by the UCL Data Protection Office to ensure that it meets the university’s standards on data protection. This research will be published in academic papers which are “open source” (meaning anyone can download and read them), and used in presentations. All data will be anonymised and no participants will be identifiable in any research outputs. If we have photographed the outside of your property we will check with you before using the photo in any outputs and we will edit out any house numbers or locational information such as street signs.
How do I sign up?
To register your interest please leave your details here and we will contact you. Note that you will not be formally signed up before you have signed a consent form.
What if I have questions?
Please feel free to get in touch at: heatpumplab@edol.ac.uk
