tepeo, a leader in low-carbon home heating innovation, today announced it has won two Innovate UK grants, underscoring the company’s commitment to revolutionising domestic heating and supporting the UK’s Net Zero goals.
Grant 1: High-Efficiency Advanced Thermal Battery for Apartments and Tight Spaces (HEATBATS)
tepeo has been awarded a Smart grant from Innovate UK for its High-Efficiency Advanced Thermal Battery for Apartments and Tight Spaces (HEATBATS) project. tepeo’s ZEB is a low carbon, plug ‘n’ play boiler replacement targeted at smaller homes – particularly those without the outdoor space for a heat pump. This 16-month project will focus on creating a ZEB with higher specific power input and heat output, designed to fit under kitchen counters.
By re-engineering the award-winning ZEB, tepeo hopes to deliver the same heating performance as the original, but in a more compact design. This innovation will enable low-cost, low-carbon heating for smaller homes and flats, where the only space is often under a kitchen counter; this is particularly relevant for properties in underserved areas with high fuel poverty rates.
The project is expected to produce the first trial version by mid-2025, with an aim of bringing the final product to market late 2026, setting the stage for mass market appeal, benefitting less affluent homes to enable everyone to participate in the decarbonisation of heating and the transition to Net Zero by 2050.
Grant 2: Testing tepeo ZEB in Salford Energy House 1
tepeo has also been awarded funding for a project focused on testing the ZEB at Salford University’s Energy House 1 to support our application for the SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) Appendix Q, which plays a crucial role in determining the energy performance ratings of homes.
The ZEB is being rigorously evaluated to ensure it meets the highest standards of efficiency, responsiveness, and performance. The testing, conducted in a controlled environment replica home, will validate the ZEB’s effectiveness in real-world conditions. By charging during off-peak times when renewable energy sources are more abundant, and discharging heat on demand, the ZEB plays a critical role in balancing energy loads on the grid.
Together, these two projects mark significant milestones in tepeo’s mission to make low-carbon heating more practical and accessible for UK homeowners, especially in the transition to Net Zero by 2050.
Johan du Plessis, CEO of tepeo, commented: “These grants are a testament to the innovative work our team is doing to create heating solutions that not only reduce carbon emissions but are also practical and accessible for everyone. With support from Innovate UK, we are excited to accelerate the development and testing of our ZEB technology, bringing us closer to achieving our goal of decarbonising domestic heating.”