Think about heat pumps and it might be electrically driven heat pumps that you think of first. Heat pumps can, however, be driven by heat itself rather than an electrical compressor. That’s where thermally driven heat pumps (TDHPs) come in.

And while boilers are efficient, thermally driven heat pumps are a step above, capturing the low-grade heat from the surrounding air and combining this with the efficient combustion of gaseous fuels. So, what part do thermally driven heat pumps have to play in the future of the energy transition?

Climate change is climbing organisations’ agendas. Worldwide, around 2,000 cities so far have declared climate emergencies and are setting their own net zero and carbon neutrality goals. 73% of the urban population in the UK currently live in cities with net zero targets.^[1]

These goals are impressive, but they need to be backed up with clear strategy, plan and action.

At Delta-EE, we see three main segments of EV charging: home charging, workplace charging and public charging. Recent Delta-EE research finds home charging remains the most predominant segment and as electric vehicles grow in popularity it has become increasingly obvious not everyone has off-street parking where they can charge their EV.

That’s where on-street parking comes in. Within the UK and Germany, only 4-5% of respondents said they used public on-street charging. That number is even lower in France a only 1-2%. In the Netherlands, however, it is a substantial 16%.

The new energy landscape is full of start-ups, but not all of them have yet managed to successfully scale. Joris Jonker, CEO and one of the founders of econic (formerly THE FCTR E), joined Delta-EE Director Jon Slowe on a recent episode of Talking New Energy, to discuss how he has grown his business over the past few years and the lessons learned along the way.

The mission

Norway has established itself as the leader of the European electric vehicle market, with the highest number of electric vehicles per person and percentage of car sales that are electric. It is a wealthy country compared to others and has generous tax incentives for EVs, but there is still plenty we can learn from the charging of electric vehicles in Norway while other regions’ EV offerings develop.

So why is Norway so successful at EV uptake? 82% of EV users in Norway charge their vehicle at home, with off-street charging available. This means using an EV is convenient.

Europe has built up one of the best gas distribution infrastructures in the world. There's one problem, though. Today it distributes natural gas, a fuel that will hardly be able to use if we're to reach net zero targets in the future. So, can we use this infrastructure instead for clean hydrogen, either blended with natural gas as a stepping stone to net zero or with pure hydrogen in the future? 

Delta-EE Director Jon Slowe was joined on Talking New Energy, the podcast from Delta-EE, by Eva Hennig, chair of Eurogas’ Distribution Committee and Head of Department for EU Energy Policy, Thüga; Keith Owen, Head of Systems Development and Energy Strategy and Northern Gas Networks in the UK; and Delta-EE Analyst Robert Castek. They discuss whether the degree to which hydrogen can be used in networks – both blended with natural gas in gas distribution networks, and with pure hydrogen flowing through networks.