As the Future Homes Standard moves the newbuild housing sector away from fossil fuel heating, heat pumps are increasingly being positioned as the default route to decarbonisation. While air source systems have become the most familiar option, apartment developments often present different challenges. External space can be limited, acoustic considerations more sensitive, and installing individual systems across multiple dwellings can prove difficult.
Qvantum believes that has created an opportunity for a different approach. Its newly launched QG-C water-to-water apartment heat pump has been developed specifically for urban residential developments connected to ambient loop systems or fifth generation heat networks, where low-grade heat is drawn from shared infrastructure and upgraded within each individual dwelling.
Philip Ord, CEO of Qvantum’s UK operations, said that the product was born from a realisation that ambient heat networks required a different approach to work in homes: “When they were working on this, there was one thing that was missing, and that was the ability to tap into the residential side of a development,” he explained. “You can have water-to-water heat pumps to do hot water heating in a gym, in a restaurant, in an office, but when it came to the apartment, it was really hard to actually tap into that.”
That challenge led to the development of a compact apartment-scale system capable of connecting into shared ambient loops. Rather than distributing high-temperature water around a development, ambient loop systems circulate water at around 20°C to 25°C. The heat pump upgrades that energy within each apartment to provide space heating, hot water and cooling where required.
Ord believes this significantly changes how energy can be used across mixed-use developments. “The key behind the system wasn’t to distribute water at 60°C for heating and another set of pipes at 7°C for cooling,” he said. “It was to distribute water around the site at 20-25°C. At that temperature, you lose next to no heat from the pipework, because it’s not hot and it’s not cold.”
The approach allows developers to draw energy from a wide range of shared sources, including ground arrays, surface water, central plant and recovered waste heat. Available in 7kW and 14kW outputs, the QG-C is supplied as a compact, pre-plumbed package with an integrated source-side pump. It provides heating, domestic hot water and cooling from a single unit designed for apartments where plant space is limited.
One of its most distinctive features is a 175-litre thermal store that replaces the need for a traditional domestic hot water cylinder. Instead of storing domestic water, the system stores thermal energy in a closed circuit. Cold mains water passes through an external heat exchanger and is heated instantaneously before reaching taps and showers.
Ord said the stored energy can serve several purposes: “That thermal store doesn’t just have to be used for domestic hot water. We can use it to heat the underfloor heating or the radiators.”
The thermal store also underpins Qvantum’s wider energy flexibility strategy. During periods when electricity prices are low or renewable generation is abundant, the system can store additional heat for use later, reducing demand during expensive peak periods.
“When energy is cheap, use it,” said Ord. “We can charge that thermal store, and when electricity is more expensive between peak hours, the heat pump doesn’t need to run because you’ve effectively stored those cheap electrons as heat.”
This capability forms part of the company’s FlexReady platform, which allows the heat pump to interact with flexible energy tariffs and wider electricity networks through API connectivity.
The system has been designed with affordability in mind. While decarbonisation remains a policy priority, the higher cost of electricity compared with gas continues to raise concerns around running costs, particularly within affordable housing.
“One of the concerns we’ve heard is that you can decarbonise, but if the cost of electricity is much higher than gas, you risk pushing more vulnerable people towards fuel poverty,” said Ord. “One of the things people really liked about our units is the ability to shift that peak, so the homeowner doesn’t see an increase in their electricity bill and should see a reduction in overall energy costs.”
Digital connectivity is also key, which is why every unit includes integrated remote monitoring, allowing installers and property managers to monitor performance, carry out diagnostics and install software updates remotely.
The QG-C has been designed as a preconfigured system to simplify installation and commissioning, supported by app-based controls for installers and homeowners. Its launch reflects a wider shift in the heat pump market. Early discussions focused largely on replacing gas boilers in individual homes, but the industry is increasingly addressing the challenges of higher-density housing, shared infrastructure and energy flexibility.
For specifiers working on apartment developments, ambient loop-connected apartment heat pumps offer an alternative approach that is increasingly aligned with the realities of urban development.
www.qvantum.com/uk