100-year-old house displays record-breaking heat pump, one of UK’s best

On the outskirts of the Peak District in northern England, a 100-year-old house boasts a cutting-edge heat pump that’s making waves in the energy efficiency community.

Outside this old house, the heat pump’s fans spin fast, pulling cold air over coils with refrigerant, capturing warmth even on cool days. This isn’t just any heat pump—it’s one of the UK’s most efficient installations.

“I’m number two on there,” proudly exclaims Rob Ritchie, the retired chemistry teacher who owns the system, as quoted by Wired . He refers to the heat pump’s ranking on HeatPumpMonitor.org, a leaderboard tracking heat pump efficiency across the UK and beyond.

“I should say it isn’t important—but it is. It’s nice being there.”

Outstanding efficiency and impressive savings

Ritchie’s heat pump boasts a coefficient of performance (COP) of 5.5, meaning for every kilowatt-hour of electricity it consumes, it delivers 5.5 kilowatt-hours of heat.

“Achieving a COP of 5 or above is absolutely incredible,” says Emma-Louise Bennett, active transition support lead at Viessmann, the company behind the heat pump. In comparison, average heat pump COPs in the UK typically range between 2 and 3.

For social-media-savvy plumbers and eco-conscious renovators, heat pumps have become a trendy solution. As the world races to decarbonize and mitigate climate change, transitioning from fossil-fuel-burning boilers and furnaces to heat pumps is crucial.

According to the International Energy Agency, heat pumps could potentially reduce global CO2 emissions by 500 million metric tons—equivalent to removing every car from the roads in Europe.

Ritchie’s heat pump, designed by local installer Damon Blakemore, is on track to achieve a seasonal COP (SCOP) of 5 over a full year, a feat that would make it the first air-source device on the leaderboard to do so.

“It’s not really something we particularly anticipated,” says Glyn Hudson, cofounder of Open Energy Monitor, which runs the website. “But installers are proud of their work. They do enjoy showing off photos of their installations on social media.”

Cutting-edge technology and community impact

Heat pumps can produce several kilowatt-hours of heat for each kilowatt-hour of electricity they use. They work by using a refrigerant that turns into a gas when warmed slightly by the outside air. This gas is then compressed, which makes it even hotter. This whole process uses very little electricity but still manages to heat the refrigerant a lot.

Since moving to his house near Sheffield ten years ago, Ritchie has added loft insulation and solar panels to save energy. Even though the house has thin walls and is 800 feet above sea level, which makes it colder, Ritchie estimates he saves £2,700 ($3,420) a year on utility bills because of his heat pump and solar panels. This shows that heat pumps can work well in older homes and tough locations.

HeatPumpMonitor.org tracks over 170 heat pumps, mainly in the UK. High rankings can help installers get new customers, says Hudson. Poorly installed heat pumps can leave homes cold or with high energy bills.

To join the leaderboard, homeowners need to attach meters to their heating systems that record real-time data on electricity use and heat output. This monitoring setup costs between £500 and £700 but offers valuable insights into how well heat pumps work.

Pioneering heat pump innovations and future prospects

Ritchie’s heat pump has garnered attention from numerous interested parties, including media outlets. “I don’t really want to be a celebrity on this,” Ritchie insists, but he’s happy to advocate for heat pumps. “I certainly would wave the flag for heat pumps. I think they’re brilliant.”

Heating engineers are striving for higher SCOPs by boosting heat pump efficiency. They design systems that heat rooms without wasting energy. Efficiency can be improved by keeping flow temperatures low, using weather compensation, installing large radiators, and adding smart defrost technology.

Heat pumps using R290 propane are becoming popular for their efficiency and eco-friendliness. Austria-based Lambda says their latest models can reach SCOPs of 6 under ideal conditions.

“If somebody’s not really into the topic or doesn’t know what COP means, then they will not buy us, usually,” admits Manuel Krall, Lambda’s product manager.

Despite improvements, heat pump efficiency has limits set by the Carnot limit, which depends on the temperature difference between the heat source and indoors. Still, the race among installers to achieve high SCOPs is viewed as a positive motivator in the industry.