The boiler is a drop-in replacement for a gas or oil boiler that similarly heats water to any set temperature between 35-80°C and uses existing radiators, pipework and insulation. It has a ceramic core which acts as a heat battery, with smart tech that controls when it is charged up. The heat can then be released, as needed, so the boiler can decouple electricity demand from heating demand and take advantage of green or variable electricity tariffs. The charge cycle of the Zero Emissions Boiler (ZEB) is automatically optimised to minimise cost and carbon.
Johan du Plessis, founder and chief executive of Tepeo and inventor of the ZEB, said: “We have carried out successful trials of the ZEB in a range of house types, and with the welcome investment from the Clean Growth Fund, we are in a strong position to launch our commercial ZEB in the autumn and extend our product range. We are initially targeting all types of dwellings of up to three bedrooms, but we intend to market future models to larger homes too.”
“Importantly, the ZEB will cost roughly half the price of a heat pump and we are confident that as we scale-up our manufacturing, the cost of the ZEB will drop and be competitive with the lifecycle cost of a typical gas boiler, so making the consumer’s decision to replace their gas boiler that much easier.”
Affordability and fairness key to low-carbon transition
Lord Callanan, Energy Minister at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, welcomed the investment saying: “If we are to meet our bold commitments to tackle climate change, we must cut carbon emissions from heating our homes and workplaces, but we are determined that affordability and fairness are placed at the heart of our transition. New technology is key to driving that low-carbon cost-effective transition and the Clean Growth Fund is allowing British innovation to flourish as jobs and investment opportunities are created.”
Stephen Price, investment director at the Clean Growth Fund, said: “Given its ease of installation and low-cost, Tepeo’s ZEB has the potential to take a massive slice of the emerging low-carbon heating market. As the pace of heat decarbonisation increases, the Clean Growth Fund will support Tepeo’s commercialisation and market entry, and its ongoing product development.”
The boiler that will be launched later this year is a replacement for a regular or system boiler for homes with a separate hot water tank. The company has plans to develop a ‘combi’ version as well as a larger capacity ZEB suitable for larger homes.