In his latest column, Martyn Bridges, Director of External Affairs at Worcester Bosch, asks whether solar PV and heat pumps will work for all households.
The figures are in for appliance sales through 2025, and heat pump sales appear to have exceeded 125,000 for the year. This is up from 98,000 installed in 2024, which is impressive growth, albeit from a relatively small base. If we compare that to the boiler market, it also showed a small growth of 1%, but the figures remain vast at 1.35 million units. While the boiler market is still dominant, heat pumps are certainly making inroads. Boiler sales have fallen from the giddy heights of 1.7 million in 2022 to 1.35 million just three years later. We are seeing a shift to lower carbon options, but how can this tech work harder for us?
The solar PV and heat pump duo
One of the best partnerships any homeowner can install is solar PV and a heat pump. Heat pumps are being promoted heavily by the government and currently enjoy a grant of £7,500 under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Furthermore, the recent Warm Homes Plan (WHP) announced earlier this year has extended and guaranteed that grant until the end of the decade.
Solar and Battery Eco-system (Image: Fox-ESS.com)
This is a confidence builder, to say the least. Also included within the WHP was confirmation that low-interest grants would be available for solar PV and battery storage, further cementing this partnership. Consequently, if you choose to change your home heating system from gas or oil to electricity, it is a sensible move to try and generate as much electricity as possible from your own roof to power that heat pump.
Increasing battery storage
The battery is a very important part of this combination as well, as solar power can charge the battery and fill it with electricity. Via smart tariffs you can also connect to low-cost electricity generally through the night and certainly sometimes during the day to further charge the battery and then again generate almost all of your heating for nothing.
Read more: Installer Online
