Over £75 million from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) has been allocated to offer free energy efficiency upgrades that could save households up to £400 a year.

Secretary of state for energy security Claire Coutinho announced the funding on the 18th March 2024, which will be available to 42 councils and housing associations across England to install energy efficiency measures including heat pumps and insulation.

Launched in August 2021, the SHDF aims to upgrade social housing stock in England with low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings to EPC band C. This will be achieved by funding the installation of energy performance measures, such as installing heat pumps.

The challenge for local authorities in the deployment of these low carbon technologies is understanding which properties are suitable for installation.

When it comes to the installation of heat pumps, several factors, including the age and structure of homes and garden size can impact the feasibility of transitioning to a cleaner heating system. This is where the importance of mapping and building level data comes into play.

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What is Heat Pump Potential Data?

At Advanced Infrastructure we have developed two datasets that support the identification of properties suitable for the installation of heat pumps. Datasets can be combined with our cloud based net zero planning platform LAEP+ (Local Area Energy Planner Plus), or as a stand alone dataset available as an API or exportable file format.

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Air Source Heat Pump Potential Dataset

‍Air Source Heat Pump Potential Data refers to the suitability of domestic properties for the installation of an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP). This dataset takes into account the building size, garden size and distance to neighbouring properties. A building can only be deemed suitable if it has a minimum garden size of 25m2.

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Ground Source Heat Pump Potential Dataset

Ground Source Heat Pump Potential Data refers to the suitability of domestic properties for the installation of a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP). The dataset takes into account the building size and garden size, with a property deemed suitable for a GSHP if the garden to building size ratio is greater than 2:1.

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As visualised in the LAEP+ platform as shown above the colour scale represents the suitability of ground source heat pumps for each property. Green properties are suitable for ground source heat pumps and grey properties are unsuitable.

Heat Pump Potential Data when used in the LAEP+ platform enables the data to be visualised at both a regional level to shortlist potential properties for insulation with the use of interactive geospatial maps, and also at individual building level to pinpoint and analyse properties precisely.

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What property information is included in the Heat Pump Potential Datasets?

Heat Pump Potential datasets either used as stand alone data or visualised in the LAEP+ platform detail individual property data including:

• Unique property reference number
• Overall property suitability for ground source or air source heat pump
• Recommended heat pump size (kW)
• Peak heat pump demand (kWp)
• Building size (m²)
• Garden area (m²)

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Key Benefits of Heat Pump Potential Data for Local Authorities

Targeted Planning: Local authorities can utilise Heat Pump Potential Data to strategically plan the deployment of heat pumps in areas where they are most suitable. By identifying houses that are conducive to heat pump installation, authorities can prioritise these locations for outreach, incentives, and installation programs.

Resource Allocation: Limited resources such as funding and workforce can be allocated more efficiently based on the data. Authorities can focus their efforts on areas with the highest potential for successful heat pump installations, maximising the impact of their investments.

Evidence-Based Proposals: Local authorities can use this data to build evidence-based proposals when applying for funding such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding (SHDF). Demonstrating the potential impact of heat pump installations in specific areas can make proposals more compelling and increase the likelihood of securing funding.

Community Engagement: Local authorities can use this data to engage with communities more effectively. They can provide targeted information and support to homeowners in areas where heat pumps are viable, helping to overcome barriers such as lack of awareness or misconceptions about the technology.

Cost-Benefit Analysis: Data on suitable houses for heat pumps allows local authorities to conduct cost-benefit analyses more accurately. They can estimate the potential energy savings, carbon emissions reductions, and other benefits associated with heat pump installations.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Heat Pump Potential Data can also be used for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of decarbonisation efforts. Local authorities can track progress, measure the impact of interventions, and adjust strategies as needed to ensure the successful adoption of heat pumps and other decarbonisation technologies.

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In Summary

Overall, leveraging Heat Pump Potential Data to identify suitable houses for heat pump installation can enable local authorities and housing associations to accelerate the adoption of decarbonisation technologies, support funding applications and contribute to their goals for combating climate change.

Funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund will help save tenants around £400 a year on their energy bills on average, while supporting 1,300 jobs.

Bidding is open to local authorities, combined authorities, registered social housing providers, and charities that own social housing. More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/over-8000-households-to-benefit-from-warmer-homes

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Where can I access Heat Pump Potential Data?

At Advanced Infrastructure our innovative GIS tools, datasets and APIs are making it easier for private companies, local authorities, distribution network operators and consultants to plan local energy transitions and operate using low carbon power. Heat Pump Potential is just one dataset in our GIS tool belt that can be combined with our cloud based net zero planning platform LAEP+ (Local Area Energy Planner Plus), or as a stand alone dataset available as an API or exportable file format.

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Visit our datasets catalogue to learn more about Heat Pump Potential Data

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