Grand designs on air source heat pumps

Mitsubishi Electric's commercial director, Donald Daw (pictured) has put the company's belief in the energy-saving value of air source heat pumps to the test recently by taking part in a special ‘Dragon's Den' style presentation involving Grand Design's Kevin McCloud.

The Channel 4 presenter was part of a panel which included Professor David Strong, chair of the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, and David MacKay, chief scientific advisor, Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The trio quizzed Mitsubishi Electric and three other companies (the Mark Group, Knauf Insulation, and Beama) who have come up with new and innovative ideas to make homes more energy efficient.

"The panel didn't pull its punches, just like the real Dragons, but I think heat pumps came out very well because they are one of the few technologies that are flexible, affordable, and scalable enough to really make a difference to the majority of our homes," commented Daw.

"However, the real winner was the idea of everyone working together to find a whole house solution rather than believing that one single technology can be the answer in every situation," he added.

The event was part of the Civil Service Live expo held at London's Olympia, held in July and attended by over 10,000 visitors.