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The step toward gas-free heating

For Danny—known from the podcast De Groene Nerds —the search for a heat pump was driven by two motivations: sustainability and preparation for a gas-free future.

“As a family, we wanted to become more sustainable. Furthermore, we live in a neighborhood that is part of Arnhem Gasvrij 2030. Eventually, we will have to heat our home without natural gas. That was the moment for me to seriously investigate how a heat pump would best fit into our home.”

He soon realized that it is not just the type of heat pump that is important, but above all how smartly the system manages energy.

Why smart control is important

According to Danny, a large part of a heat pump's value lies in how it manages energy consumption. When there is plenty of solar or wind energy available, electricity is often cheaper and more sustainable. However, in households, the demand for heat often peaks in the evening hours: cooking, showering, and heating.

“Heating is usually the biggest energy consumer in the house. You want a heat pump that handles electricity smartly.”

With Weheat Intelligence you can, for example, store heat during the day so that less energy is needed in the evening when electricity prices are higher.

Hot water at the right time

A practical example from Danny’s household: hot water usage. With three children, showers usually happen around seven in the evening. In a standard setup, the heat pump would have to work hard at that exact moment to reheat the boiler tank. The Blackbird does things differently.

“Our heat pump pre-heats the boiler tank by a few extra degrees during the day when electricity is cheaper. That means it doesn’t have to work as hard in the evening.”

This not only results in a lower energy bill, but also helps reduce peak load on the electricity grid.

A heat pump that is almost invisible

For Danny, the design also played a role in choosing the Blackbird. His home has a sleek facade, and he didn’t want a traditional outdoor unit in plain sight. The horizontal shape of the Blackbird made it possible to install it on the dormer window.

“It’s almost completely out of sight and exactly where the boiler used to be. That made the installation logical, too.”

Despite being placed close to the house, the system remains remarkably quiet. Even when the heat pump has to work hard during cold spells, Danny barely hears it—even with the window open.

Smart monitoring via the app

Through the Weheat app, Danny can also gain insight into the system's performance himself. This includes:

• the heat pump's power consumption
• the COP (efficiency)
• the ratio between heating and domestic hot water

It also shows that the system generates heat during the day when it is energetically advantageous to do so.

Installation and service

According to Danny, the installation went quickly and without any major issues. Shortly after installation, it appeared the heat pump kept heating even after the thermostat temperature had been reached. Before he could even explain the problem to the installer, they were already aware of it.

“They could see exactly what was happening in the online portal. The installation error had already been detected before I even called about it.”

This kind of remote monitoring makes it possible to detect and resolve issues faster.

A year later: satisfied with the results

After more than a year of use, Danny is clear about his experience.

“We are extremely satisfied. Most of the time, I don’t even think about the fact that we have a heat pump.”

Energy consumption also proved favorable: approximately 2,000 kWh per year for heating and hot tap water in a home of nearly 160 m² for a family of five.

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