SMETER workshop explores requirements for effective UK system of in-use thermal performance metrics

The Smart Meter Enabled Thermal Efficiency Ratings (SMETER) Innovation Programme aimed to develop, test and demonstrate technologies that measure the thermal performance of homes, using smart meter and other data to generate in-use thermal performance metrics, in particular Heat Transfer Coefficients (HTCs).

Dr Cliff Elwell, Associate Professor at UCL Energy Institute said:

“We’ve enjoyed a successful collaboration with Loughborough, Leeds Beckett and Halton Housing to deliver the Technical Evaluation of SMETER Technologies (TEST) project, which supported and enabled the SMETER Innovation Competition run by BEIS. As a result we’ve seen significant development of methods to characterise the thermal performance of buildings in the past few years. This thermal characterisation could be used for a wide range of purposes, such as to evaluate policy, support retrofit or quality assure newly built homes.”

The one-day, online expert workshop took place on 12 April 2021, and disseminated and discussed the SMETER Programme’s findings, explored different aspects of how to implement such methods at scale, and examined further research and innovation requirements.

The outputs from the workshop include a summary workshop report, presentation slides and a recording of the TEST presentation of SMETER results and will help to inform future policy, research and innovation agendas focused on thermal performance metrics such as HTCs, including the development of a plan for future implementation.

“The SMETER workshop was an interesting and valuable event, bringing together research expertise from across industry and academia. It was great to see a large number of open and insightful contributions to the event, which I’m sure will support further developments in both the development of SMETER products, and their application to support policymaking and beyond.” - Dr Cliff Elwell

Links

• Smart Meter Enabled Thermal Efficiency Ratings (SMETER) Innovation Programme

• In-use thermal performance metrics workshop: Executive summary

  In-use thermal performance metrics workshop: Executive summary

• SMETER workshop introduction TEST slides and intro session

  SMETER workshop introduction TEST slides and intro session

• SMETER session presentations

  SMETER session presentations
• Video recording - SMETER Workshop - Thermal in use performance metrics workshop