Sunamp’s compact heat batteries store energy as heat for hot water and affordable domestic heating. Their expansion into China has seen them partner with a number of local companies and the future for this Scottish company looks very bright.
Heat accounts for 50 percent of global final energy consumption, and in some countries as much as 81 percent of household energy is used for heating and hot water. Realising this, technology company Sunamp has developed special heat batteries that can cut both fuel costs and carbon emissions by storing energy as heat and releasing it on demand. The Scottish company’s super-compact heat battery technology has been intelligently designed to provide a clean, efficient, and cost-effective heat energy storage solution. The technology also helps to ensure a positive impact on the environment and Sunamp’s long-term ambition is to significantly impacting the global campaign to stop climate change.
Working with everything from gas boilers to solar panels and heat pumps, Sunamp’s UniQ range of heat batteries delivers hot water and highly responsive space heating with superb efficiency and proven savings of up to 75 percent on utility bills. This technology comes at an accessible price and offers limitless scalability for residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
Sunamp in Scotland
Sunamp supplied 2,028 heat battery cells for 724 installations in residential homes for the EastHeat project. The Renewable Energy Association recorded EastHeat as the biggest energy storage trial in the world at the time and the project continues to receive local, national and international recognition. The benefits of heat storage system combined with solar PV include:
- Replacing a hot water tank with a compact heat battery to enhanced energy efficiency, reducing heat losses by typically 75 percent, saving money, and freeing-up much-needed space in the home.
- Old systems suffered from poor water pressure. The new heat batteries provide hot water at mains pressure, and tenant feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
- Adding a heat battery to an electrically heated home allows it to be heated with nearly 100 percent off-peak (low cost) electricity and the heat battery increased comfort by avoiding temperature fluctuations seen by tenants with older heating systems.
Sunamp in China
Sunamp CEO Andrew Bissell with Trina Solar VP John Ding
With help and support from CBBC, Sunamp had its debut in China by attending the Shenzhen Innovation Competition in 2016 and received the First Award in the final round.
In the same year, Sunamp secured the China-UK Newton Fund and commenced collaboration with the University of Glasgow, Beijing University of Technology, and China Investment Yixing Red Sun Solar Energy Technology, to develop an ORC power plant, integrated with thermal energy storage to utilise renewable heat sources for distributed heating and power.
Since 2018, Sunamp has established itself in the UK and EU markets and started OEM partnerships with companies including Flamco and Fisher Future Heat. It has also signed MOUs with Trina Solar, Gomon New Energy, and BCCY New Energy, with the first contract signing ceremony with Gomon witnessed by trade minister Ivan Mckee in Shanghai.
In September 2019, Sunamp hosted the China-Scotland Heat Pump Industry Summit, with China Energy Conservation Association Heat Pump Professional Committee, the China Heat Pump Industry Alliance and the European Heat Pump Association. This was the first summit that brought together thought leaders on the development of the global heat pump market and the role of thermal storage in decarbonising domestic heat. Delegates from 15 top Chinese companies representing China’s heat pump industry attended including those from Haier, Phnix, Trina Solar and Weyee. The delegates were welcomed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and trade minister Ivan McKee at a special reception held at Bute House, the First Minister’s residence in Edinburgh.
Sunamp International Business Development Manager Maurizio Zaglio with Gomon New Energy Chairman Chaohong Fan
Going forward
Sunamp’s thermal storage technology has been fully patented, tested in the market, and is in commercial development. As China’s new Draft Energy Law has been released, Sunamp’s technical advantages, which include over 100 worldwide patents and a proven commercial history in the UK and EU, will enable the company to benefit from the new proposed law. Furthermore, Sunamp’s technology eases the transition towards renewable and low-carbon heating, and is an innovative solution for heat storage requirements in all sectors. This aligns well with the new draft energy law’s decarbonisation and energy transition visions. Sunamp’s technology has the added benefit of being able to provide storage in locations where space is at a premium as it is in so many Chinese cities.
Over the last year, Sunamp has established strategic partnership relationships with Trina Solar and Gomon New Energy, and is in technical discussions with Haier. These partnerships will enable access to local manufacturing and supply chains with the possibility to import components, sub-assemblies, and full assemblies at a lower cost than from current suppliers. Sunamp will have speedier access to the local market through collaborators’ market intelligence, sales channels, information about local technical requirements, and compliance with local legislation. Strong local partnerships will also aid efficient expansion into the marketplace, build better relationships with local government, and allow close monitoring and any necessary enforcement of any IP issues.
The new Draft Energy Law addresses China’s energy issues regarding an over-reliance on coal-fuelled power generation and focuses on decarbonisation technology and digital technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will open new opportunities for Sunamp’s future development in China, as its technology is designed around ensuring a positive impact on the environment by reducing carbon emission associated with generating energy for heat and hot water.
By eliminating the need for fossil-fuels and supporting renewable energy, Sunamp Heat Batteries reduce CO2 emissions, NOx emissions and enable individual or large scale organisations and housing developments to be more energy efficient.
