In 2023, Passiv UK’s smart heat pump controls were installed in 75 homes at Wrottesley Village in Perton. Each home in Wrottesley Village, a new-build development west of Wolverhampton, has a Grant air source heat pump installed alongside Passiv’s smart heat pump controls. The Passiv smart controls will provide homeowners with affordable, low-carbon heating with improved heat pump efficiency and easy-to-use controls.
From 2026, the Future Homes Standard will mean that gas boilers can no longer be installed in new-build homes. The UK Government expects that individual heat pumps will be the most common replacement. Heat pumps are great for helping to decarbonise home heating but studies have shown that homeowners often struggle with the complexities of their control. A review of papers looking at heat pump installations across Scotland found that over 70% of studies reported difficult to use controls as a significant source of dissatisfaction amongst heat pump owners.
Feedback collected from users of the Passiv controls in Wrottesley Village show that the right smart controls can help make heat pumps easier to use. When surveyed, over 80% agreed that the Passiv controls helped with managing their heating and hot water, while 90% agreed that the Passiv app was simple to use and made scheduling their heating easy. The Passiv controls will also give Wrottesley Village residents access to a range of cost saving features that can significantly reduce heating bills, including improving heat pump efficiency and optimisation to time of use tariffs.
New-build housing presents a challenge when it comes to adopting new heating systems. Many residents will not be familiar with heat pumps when they first move in and the lack of an internet connection means most smart control solutions aren’t an option. The Passiv Smart Thermostat is designed with new-builds in mind and can be installed and controlled without the need for an app or even an internet connection. Through simple, intuitive in-home controls, new residents have complete control of their heat pump from the day they move in. The Passiv Smart Thermostat also helps new heat pump owners make the transition from traditional boilers. It learns how a home heats up and cools down, then uses local weather forecasts to start heating a home and hot water at exactly the right time, making keeping comfortable with a heat pump simple. When questioned about their heat pump with Passiv smart controls, the majority of homeowners in Wrottesley Village reported preferring their new heating system to their old one and over 90% said they would recommend it to their friends and family.
When questioned about their new heat pump with Passiv smart controls, over 90% said they would recommend it to their friends and family.
The Passiv Smart Thermostat for housebuilders:
The Passiv Smart Thermostat makes installing heat pumps simpler for installers and housebuilders. The Passiv Programmer features a built-in, push-fit wiring centre and is also used to commission the system in under two minutes without a smartphone or internet connection. With a quick customer handover and remote diagnostics, supporting residents with their new heating system is easier than ever. The Passiv Smart Thermostat also automatically optimises the heat pump’s flow temperature to maximise its Coefficient of Performance, removing the need to set a weather compensation curve and taking the guesswork out of heat pump installation.
The Passiv Smart Thermostat for heat pump manufacturers:
Smart controls can help heat pump manufacturers to differentiate their product by improving their customer value proposition. The Passiv Smart Thermostat can automatically optimise to time-of-use tariffs and solar PV generation, ensuring that a heat pump makes the most of low-cost or free electricity. It makes heat pumps more affordable by optimising flow temperatures, increasing heat pump efficiency by 17%, as verified by the Energy Saving Trust. The Passiv Smart Thermostat also removes the complexities of controlling heating and hot water, with simple scheduling and full control from either in-home devices or a mobile app.
Grant air source heat pumps are just one of the heat pumps supported by the Passiv Smart Thermostat. If you’re a housebuilder or heat pump manufacturer looking to take your heat pumps to the next level, then get in touch with us to find out more.
