British company Qvantum wins award for apartment heat pump

Jesper Jarnhäll with the heat pump for his Qvantum apartment (Photo: Johan Marklund)

The British Renewable Energy Awards is the most prestigious event of its kind in the UK. The awards are presented by the Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Association, which has over 500 members and works closely with the British Parliament.

Qvantum takes the award for its newly developed ultra-compact 6 kW heat pump for apartment use. The apartment heat pump is so small that it can fit under a kitchen cupboard and is intended for use with low temperature grids (5th generation district heating). It can provide both heating, hot water, and cooling, and produces more than 4 kWh of heat per kWh of energy supplied.

– We showed our apartment heat pump at the ISH fair in Germany in March for the first time, and it has already won two international awards for innovation, says CCO Jesper Jarnhäll from Qvantum.

– Being recognized by the REA is great because we have recently started our operations in the UK with the acquisition of Hybrid Energy Storage in Leicester.

Hybrid Energy Storage shared another award the same night when the company designed a ground water heating system for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The hospitals have a heating system that has made them “highly recommended” for a Pioneer Award.

Heat pumps for sustainable cities

The idea behind an apartment heat pump is to provide fossil-free heating to all the millions who live in gas-fired apartments in Europe’s major cities. A heat pump can easily replace gas boilers and contribute to cost savings and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions.

Our goal is to change the way European cities heat up. It’s time we stopped setting things on fire, says Jesper Yarnhill, principal of the company.

Qvantum has been established for 30 years and has a history of manufacturing large scale custom heat pumps for special applications. Two years ago, the company was reorganized and the aim is now to become a leader in making Europe’s major cities fossil-free. In January this year, Qvantum received SEK 460 million from investors and this fall it will start full-scale production at a new factory in Åstorp.