Trust director wins spot on Innovate UK’s net zero heat project

Scott Conor, Founder and Head Engineer at Trust Electric Heating has been awarded a place at a prestigious Design Engineering Innovation Lab to help develop new technologies and overcome the challenges faced in creating net zero heating solutions.  

Developed by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, the ‘Innovation Lab’ is a five-day collaborative workshop that brings experts together from a variety of sectors to collaborate and share insights on the delivery of net zero heat building upgrades. 

In order to meet the 6th Carbon Budget, the UK is required to decarbonise 30 million buildings and cut 78% of greenhouse emissions by 2035 to keep pace with the government’s ambitious net zero commitments.

To help achieve this, Innovate UK has introduced a ‘Net Zero Heat Programme’ to enable a faster roll-out of decarbonised heat for buildings. The Design Engineering Innovation Lab, which takes place in Stratford-Upon-Avon in September, is designed to build on approaches and achievements from the Transforming Construction Challenge, with a focus on heat in domestic and non-domestic existing building assets.

Scott was selected from 143 applicants to represent the electric heating sector in the lab alongside 40 experts from other industry sectors, on the strength of his accomplishments in designing innovative electric heating systems.

Scott’s first innovation, the NEOS electric radiator, launched in 2017. Designed to help people heat their homes in a more sustainable, cost-efficient manner, the radiator is 290% more conductive and 59.4% more effective than other electric radiators on the market and lasts up to 250% longer.

Scott’s company, Trust Electric Heating, which he founded in 2013 alongside his wife and business partner, Fiona Conor, has also worked on wider industry innovations including thermostat redevelopment, making them smarter and more accessible to encourage behavioural change around heat management. One of Scott’s latest innovations, CAVE was designed specifically to aid vulnerable and elderly adults use their heating efficiently. In addition, the system can also be used within student accommodation to tackle rising energy costs.

The company is no stranger to collaborations and is currently working with a hot water tank manufacturer and solar PV business to deliver a combined energy-efficient and self-sufficient heating solution. In addition, Trust holds a KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) with the University of Huddersfield, where they fully explore and test Scott’s innovations to support results with science.

Speaking about his place in the Innovation Lab, Scott says: “This is an amazing opportunity to make a real and multifaceted difference to the future of heating, a problem that affects everyone. 

“Through our work, we know that solutions can be found to reduce energy usage, wastage, and cost when it comes to heating, and to be able to work with other experts in different sectors towards this common goal is so exciting. I feel privileged to be a part of it.”

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