The ‘little white box’, responsible for around a third of all UK ground source heat pump installations, is the first and only ground source heat pump to be included in the collection, where it will join over seven million historic and significant items collected and documented by the Science Museum Group since 1851.
In addition to being immortalised in their collection, the compact heat pump will be on display to the public as part of the Science Museum’s new Adani Green Energy Gallery, where it will rub shoulders with other trailblazing energy transition products, such as the historic Bersey electric taxi cab and one of the world’s first rechargeable batteries.
First launched in 2012, Shoebox heat pumps deliver green heat to thousands of homes and have helped lift numerous people out of fuel poverty. They were also a driving force in developing Kensa’s Networked Ground Source Heat Pump model, a sustainable heating solution set to play a crucial role in the mass decarbonisation of UK homes and businesses.
Gamechanger for the UK heat pump expertise
As the Shoebox secured its place in history, the British manufacturer launched its successor, the Shoebox NX. In the NX, Kensa has combined over 10 years of Shoebox successes and development with 25 years of ground source heat pump expertise, creating a highly efficient, compact heat pump that’s set to be a game-changer for the UK heat market.
Tamsin Lishman, Kensa Heat Pumps, CEO, said:“Street by street, Kensa is cleaning up heating across the UK, bringing Ground Source Heat Pumps to flats, terraced streets, tower blocks, period properties and other supposedly hard-to-decarbonise homes and buildings, taking people out of fuel poverty, and making homes warm and comfortable through renewable technology.
“From heating tower blocks to terraces and new builds, the Shoebox is responsible for so much. Seeing our ‘little white box’ featured in this exhibition and immortalised in the Science Museum collection as a green heating pioneer is a remarkable achievement, but one this incredible product fully deserves.
“The Shoebox set the course for Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps, and through the game-changing Shoebox NX we will build on this legacy and supercharge the switch to ground source heat pumps, delivering highly efficient, affordable green heating and cooling right across the UK.”
Impressive technologies
Speaking about the Science Museum’s Adani Green Energy Gallery its Lead Curator, Oliver Carpenter, said: “This gallery shares contemporary stories of individuals, organisations and communities all imagining the future of low carbon energy, but it also spotlights some of the earliest ideas and technologies created by the imaginations of previous generations.
“By taking a long view of the energy revolution and showcasing impressive technologies of the past, alongside today’s low carbon options, we hope to inspire visitors to imagine a low carbon energy future.”
Image: Kensa Heat Pumps