Stephen Crown

"UK electricity networks need to rapidly sort heat pump standards" by @richardlowes

#HeatPump #ASHP #Electrician #IET

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/uk-electricity-networks-need-rapidly-sort-heat-pump-standards-lowes

UK electricity networks need to rapidly sort heat pump standards

The job of an electricity network is to enable the use of electricity in places and buildings. As we move to a decarbonised world, enabling electrification of heating and transport is the key job of the UK’s privately owned, and Ofgem regulated, electricity networks.

Aug 11, 2023 at 12:47pmWeb
Show threadKim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷Aug 12, 2023
@Stephencrown Add electric showers into the mix and things become even more muddled.
Show threadStephen CrownAug 12, 2023

@KimSJ yes, however in their favour they are very transient - more like a kettle.

Electric showers are only in use for say 5-7 minutes (on average), so not really a big issue for cutout fuses (thermal heat) or the grid (power demand) here due to diversity (ie not everyone will be showering at the same time).

That said, an electrician probably has to add this in which pushes up the diversity load.

Strategically there should be a move to stored hot water using #HeatPump #ASHP

Show threadKim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷Aug 12, 2023

@Stephencrown I confess I’d never considered that an 80A fuse might take more than four hours to blow with 100A current. I also didn’t realise that a supply could be upgraded just by changing the fuse. (I assumed I was stuck with my 60A feed unless I paid a fortune to have the road dug up.) That’s stopped me considering installing a second electric shower, in fact. I guess I need to talk to my supplier…

So, thank you for opening new possibilities!

Show threadStephen CrownAug 12, 2023

@KimSJ fuse upgrades (to 100 or 80amp) are free!

Ours was (4 hour service cutout replacement as original from ~1940’s only allowed up to 60amp fuse max, and that included digging the garden up to isolate it while work was going on), and my dads was (5min fuse replacement job)

Which area of the country are you in?

#UKPowerNetworks for example has this page:

https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/i-already-have-electricity-domestic/adding-more-power/fuse-upgrade#Apply

Fuse upgrade | UK Power Networks

Do you need more power and need your fuse upgraded to 80 or 100amps? Request this service now.

Show threadKim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷Aug 12, 2023
@Stephencrown Cambridgeshire
Show threadStephen CrownAug 12, 2023
@KimSJ ditto, so #UKPowerNetworks is who you need to contact
Show threadStephen GentleAug 13, 2023
@Stephencrown @richardlowes I’m not familiar with the UK network, but surely if possible the best solution is to upgrade the service to 3-phase? Both for EV charging and loads like large heat pumps - e.g. a 7kW EV charger is 30 amps on a single phase, but an 11kW 3-phase charger is 16 amps per phase.
Show threadStephen CrownAug 13, 2023

@stephengentle @richardlowes it would be (if starting from scratch like a new build), but that is likely unnecessary for most, and also someone will have to pay for a new connection from the road to the property (all electricity bill payers, individual customers getting the upgrade or general taxation)

Unfortunately, most domestic residential properties in the U.K. only have 1 of the 3 phases in the road laid underground to the property for some historic reason I’m unaware of.

Show threadStephen GentleAug 13, 2023
@Stephencrown @richardlowes Yeah, existing properties only have a single phase here by default too but upgrading seems to be getting a lot more common now. Especially since utilities here in Australia usually only allow 5 kW of solar feed-in per phase, so going to three phase you can have a system three times bigger.
Show threadStephen CrownAug 13, 2023
@stephengentle @richardlowes interesting. Who pays for the upgrade there? Is is normally quite involved (as I would expect it would be in the U.K.)?
Show threadStephen GentleAug 13, 2023
@Stephencrown @richardlowes The customer does, yeah, it’s new wires pulled in (a lot are aerial here but also a decent number underground), meter swap, then you’d have to have the all the breakers re-wired to spread them over the phases. Reports say it costs about $5000 for a regular residential property (rural can be a very different story in general, it can be cheaper to just go off grid)