BetaTalk - The Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Heating Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

In part 1 we heard Steve's common heat pump mistakes now we get to hear from another #betatalk heat architect Si Poskett.

It's worth remembering heat pumps are just the heat source on a system, rather like a boiler is the heat source on a system. It is understanding the system as a whole which is the important part. 

If you wish to learn about hydronic system design you can use my discount code BETA5 with this course

https://courses.heatgeek.com/ref/10/?campaign=BetaTeach&HeatGeek

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

Heat Pumps are fantastic technology. They first trialed in homes in 1948. But they do have to be installed and used correctly.  

In the first episode we listen to Steve, one of the BetaTalk Heat Architects. In the second episode we listen to Si Poskett another BetaTalk Heat Architect 

Want to learn all about hydronics to help you in your profession? Whether you are an engineer, sustainability manager, environmental editor or working in the energy sector it will help you. Warning: this stuff can seem complex.

Click the link to watch the video and use my affiliated BETA5 promo code for discount

https://courses.heatgeek.com/ref/10/?campaign=BetaTeach&HeatGeek

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

Nathan talks to Victor Hyman who is the executive director of climate care, a cooperative of around 30 HVAC contractors in Ontario Canada, and Robin Curtis who has been involved with ground and water source heat pumps for many moons. 

This episode covers some history of GSHP as well as discussing what open loop and closed loop systems are both in water sources and vertical bore holes 

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

Nathan discusses how he thinks LA's will need to know who the good engineers are and how the self employed may not want to become MCS.

He also introduces us to BetaTeach, the methodology needed for effective training and how LA's, Manufacturers and Associations can all pledge their support.

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

Local Area Energy Plans are something this seasons sponsors Energy Systems Catapult are keen to promote. Different parts of the country will require different stratagies to decarbonise heat, distribute power and organise transport. In the episode Nathan talks to community hero John Talylor who is involved with Greater South East Energy Hub, one of the five energy hubs  across the country. Energy Hubs are made up of local enterprise partnerships such as New Anglia in Nathan's region. 

John discusses what funding is available to local communities (e.g. Rural Community Energy Fund) and who can access it. 

John knows his stuff, he really does and it was great for Nathan to learn more about how regional energy stratagies are in a way the more localised version of the National Carbon budgets the CCC work on.

A few local projects such as Swaffham Prior which is looking at having a heat network are discussed as well as UK Power Network and their work on future energy scenarios.

Great episode.

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

Agile tariffs, wholesale electricity price, peak and off peak electricity are some of the themes being discussed here with Nathan's guests Helen and Karalos from https://www.evergreenenergy.co.uk/ and Leah from https://www.yourenergyyourway.co.uk/

Nathan is talking to Evergreen Energy about the Homely device, a thermostat which monitors electricity pricing and can switch your heat pump on and off according to the electricity prices. 

Dynamic tariffs  being offerd from some companies will price electricity according to how much renewable surplus there is. But for a better explanation take a listen

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

In the first episode after betatalk won the British Renewable Energy Awards communication category Nathan is joined by two of his favourite engineers Steve and Steve. Along for the ride is Dominic representing the consumer perspective but who ls has vast experience regarding heat loss measurement and building fabric.

Topics and themes discussed are do radiators need to bigger for heat pumps; pipe sizing for heat pumps e.g. can microbore be used for heat pumps.

Electric capacity for heat pumps is also discussed along with buffer types and sizes.

Both Steves talk about the solar thermal system designs and how winter sun is great for helping heat our homes. 

Senior Steve also discusses how heat pumps can extract heat from a river or the sea.

It's a great episode this and we hope you gain some value from it.


 

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

This episode was recorded mid 2020

Nathan discusses heat as a service  with Matthew Lipson, Dave Smith and Jayesh Kanbi.

Matthew works at https://es.catapult.org.uk/ (energy systems catapult) and has experience working at the Dept of Energy & Climate Change (now the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy ) and the Climate Change Committee. He regularly engages on social media with Nathan and other engineers in the heating space and is a firm friend of the podcast.

Dave Smith is a heating engineer and has been in the plumbing and heating industry since 1982. He recently set up an innovative company to address a problem with condensate pipework  https://condensatepro.co.uk/

Jayesh Kanbi is another innovator and has set up https://myboiler.com/. Jayesh is a second generation heating engineer and known for his technical competence.

The topic is heat as a service. Matthew describes what this is and the potential advantages for both consumers and engineers but also in helping reduce emissions and reach netzero targets.  

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Nathan speaks with Adam Chapman from https://heatgeek.com/ about his experience with becoming MCS accredited. It's often heard how MCS is very complex for a heating engineer to undertake so Adam tries to help alleviate any of the mystery.

Adam is finding the process enjoyable and hopefully we will see many more smaller companies and sole traders obtain MCS. However, we discuss how the green homes grant, which has driven up demand for technologies such as solar thermal heating systems and heat pumps has also created a bottleneck as installers now need to have trustmark accreditation also.

You will hear Nathan and Adam discuss how a new installer may struggle to find a suitable first installation which wil be assessed by MCS because of the GHG and its attachment to trustmark.

Take a listen and enjoy

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Nathan speaks with Adam Chapman from Vito Energy and heat geek which is an excellent resource for consumers and engineers. This episode centres around what we can do right now to our heating systems to reduce carbon emissions. 

Fabric First is inculcated and for obvious reasons. However, there is often something which can be done to the heating system at no cost (or for very little) and with no disruption to the customer which reduces emissions. Scale this up across the 22 to 23 million gas boilers installed and we can significantly lower carbon emissions from heating

This episode mentions how the Energy Savings Trust (EST) conducted a survey on conventional and condensing boilers and found that they do not work at their badged up efficiencies. This suggests how energy performance certificates and energy assessors ticking a box because a boiler has A+ on it's casing is often completely irrelevant 

We hear Adam discuss modulation controls and thermostats, how boilers condense, priority domestic hot water (PDHW) and a host of other stuff. 

Support the show

Learn more about heat pump heating by following
Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky