A new heating technology has emerged from under the radar as a potential alternative to both heat pumps and gas boilers in the quest for low carbon heating.
Heat Wayv, a UK energy technology company, has unveiled the world’s first microwave boiler intended as a zero-emissions replacement for gas boilers, with a view to the phase-out of natural gas in new-build homes from 2025.
The company originally developed the microwave technology as a portable cooking device for military use and has now applied it to the heating of water.
Same to buy, same to install and same to run as a gas boiler.
Co-founder Phil Stevens said: “The end of the [natural] gas boiler is inevitable and scheduled. But the proposed replacement technologies do not work for consumers as they are either too expensive to install or too expensive to run. We looked for a clean technology where the boiler would cost the consumer the same to buy, same to install and same to run as a gas boiler.”
Mr Stevens and co-founder Paul Atherton believe that it can provide a lower-cost and simpler alternative to heat pumps for use in new-build homes, while at the same time being straightforward to fit in existing homes. This they believe gives the technology a dual advantage over gas boilers – its lack of carbon monoxide emissions and electric power make it a compelling option for boiler replacement now, while ultimately it offers a more practical and lower cost alternative to the hydrogen grid, currently being proposed.
A more practical solution than hydrogen?
Mr Atherton said: “We believe this technology offers a more practical solution than hydrogen, with considerably less investment than the billions hydrogen will cost, but even if the hydrogen grid does become a reality, for the next 30 years or however long it takes this is a perfect bridging technology.”
The company is in advanced talks with housebuilders to trial the technology in a real-world setting next year, and then to optimise it with a plan to sell the boilers through wholesalers in 2024
96% efficient
The concept brings with a host of claimed benefits beyond its plug and play installation: it is 96% efficient; it is silent in operation; installers can be trained on a half-day course and as it is largely based on solid-state components, it is low in maintenance, so will be offered with a ten-year warranty.
Mr Atherton said: “There are really only three components and no mechanical moving parts – the pump comes in cassette form so it can simply be removed.”
On top of that, its electronic control system and silent running lend it well to optimised electricity use as well as to making use of demand side response incentives from the National Grid.
Can be remotely monitored and maintained
As an IoT device, the HeatWayz boiler can be remotely monitored and maintained, and can be optimised and even upgraded without the customer having to make callouts, the founders say.
The Heat Wayv system is based on the microwave technology used in domestic cooking settings, with the heart of the system what is termed a Technology Stack. The patented Wayv Technology Stack is a solid-state, robust, RF framework that utilises configurable and controllable high-performance amplifiers to generate energy.
Its microwave-emitting ‘magnetron’ uses a specific frequency to transfer energy to individual water molecules and so heat up the volume of water.
Designed and shielded in a superior way to microwave ovens
The company says it uses ‘a combination of sequential pulse-width modulation and specialist materials to provide what is effectively continuous heating but at reduced power settings…The microwave boilers are designed and shielded in a far superior way to regular microwave ovens so that they can never interfere with household electronic equipment such as wi-fi routers.
A multi-blade assembly heats the water through a proprietary system where flow rates are determined by sensors and AI-based controllers – ensuring that a consistent water temperature is reached in the most efficient way possible, the company says: “Where energy is inevitably lost to the surroundings, a turbo charge approach recycles this energy back into heating the water.”
The system will preheat the water to 20-22 deg C then lift it to 65 deg C for delivery at around 9 litres a minute.
Fitted on any interior wall or retrofitted into any current system
The boiler will initially be offered in two configurations: The Heat Wayv one is equivalent to a standard combi-boiler in size with a 40 litre holding tank, and, since it doesn’t need an external vent, it can be fitted on any interior wall or retrofitted into any current system in less than a day, the firm says.
The HeatWayv max, is a scaled-up unit incorporating a pressurised 280 litre internal hot water tank for larger households and is the size of a standard single double-height kitchen unit.
The units are modular, enabling them to be configured in sizes from 5 kW to 60 kW, with the standard unit set at around 10.5 kW, although the precise capacities are to be decided after the post-trial optimising process.
Manufactured and available for installation before 2025
The company says it is working with leading semiconductor companies for some of its componentry and a world leading contract manufacturer that should enable the new microwave boilers to be manufactured and available for installation before 2025. Mr Stevens is confident that manufacturing can be scaled up to meet demand to whatever level becomes necessary. He said: “These companies are used to scaling up to produce things like iPhones in their millions, so there are no concerns about their ability to produce thousands or even hundreds of thousands if necessary.”
Starting with newbuild homes and housing associations
The founders say they are aiming at domestic applications, starting with newbuild homes and housing associations. A total of 170,000 new homes are currently being built with plans to expand this to 300,000 homes per year, and from 2025 these new homes will not be allowed to install gas boilers. The social housing sector in the UK, with its 1,500 housing associations managing some 2.5m households, is also keen to move away from gas boilers for environmental, safety and maintenance reasons.
Mr Atherton said: “The beauty of our microwave boiler platform is that it is completely compatible with existing home radiators, easy to install and maintain, but with zero emissions – as the UK and the world moves to renewable energy, we need to have appliances that are zero-emissions in the home, but also connected so that the devices can work intelligently with the grid.”
Just half a day to install
A key attraction for installers will be the combination of ease of installation and potential product margins, the founders believe. Mr Stevens said: “It shouldn’t take installers more than half a day to install, so they can comfortably fit two a day, if not more.”
The company believes the technology will be ripe for embracing by both the gas and electric heating installation sector. Mr Atherton said: “We are saying you can go on a half-day course and once you’ve learned how to install the boiler, the opportunities with this technology could give a job for the next 25 years. We believe the gas boiler’s ship has sailed.”
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