Some of the UK’s first homes to meet new energy efficiency standards are proving kinder to the electricity grid than expected. A real-world study of social housing in Birmingham, UK found that peak electricity demand from heat-pump-equipped homes was: “lower than we would expect,” said Dr Monica Mateo-Garcia, academic lead at Birmingham City University’s Centre for Future Homes. The analysis of carbon savings is still being finalised.
Researchers at Birmingham City University tracked seven all-electric homes over the course of a year. The results show that efficient design and smart energy use can avoid spikes in demand that strain infrastructure, easing concerns that widespread electric heating could overwhelm the network. The research compared electricity use across a year and found overall consumption far below typical UK homes.
“We currently seem to be overpredicting how much power we need in new-build housing,” said Professor Richard Fitton of the University of Salford, who was not involved in the study.
