Local area energy mapping approach for high-density heat pump deployment

Gupta, Rajat, Gregg, Matt and Liu, Chenfei 2025. Local area energy mapping approach for high-density heat pump deployment. Buildings & Cities 6 (1) , pp. 561-579. 10.5334/bc.565

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Abstract

A localised, data-driven approach is presented for the rapid and scalable deployment of heat pumps in high-density areas. This novel hyper-local methodology evaluates the technical feasibility and readiness of dwellings for heat pump deployment. The local area energy mapping (LEMAP) approach integrates diverse datasets, including energy use, building characteristics, socio-economics, digital engagement and local electricity distribution. The study of dwellings (n = 865) in a suburban area of Oxford, UK, was conducted in three stages: local grid loading, technical suitability and household capability. To bridge the gap between technical potential and practical adoption, a capability assessment framework was applied, examining the social, digital and financial readiness of heat pump suitable, ready and priority dwellings. Over 600 dwellings (71%) were technically suitable for heat pumps, with 60% of these households being affluent, while 33% were classified as fuel poor. Notably, households with high financial and social capabilities often had lower digital capabilities, suggesting a need for digital literacy support to enable the effective adoption of smart heat pump technologies. Although many dwellings were technically suitable, only a small proportion demonstrated strong capabilities across all three dimensions, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions to ensure successful heat pump deployment.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Architecture
Publisher:	Ubiquity Press
ISSN:	2632-6655
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 March 2026
Date of Acceptance:	26 July 2025
Last Modified:	27 Mar 2026 10:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186041

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