A company specialising in the use of robotics and AI to insulate homes recently got to introduce a government minister to its tireless ‘staff’.
Lord Callanan, the minister for energy efficiency and green finance, officially opened Q-bot’s hew head office and retrofit research centre at The Oval in south London.
The visit was the ideal opportunity to see the company’s home insulating robots in action.
The minister also got to hear how the technology can be used to increase levels of home insulation, support retrofitting efforts, and also the roll-out of heat pumps.
He said: “I have been hugely impressed by Q-Bot’s ground-breaking use of AI and robots to insulate people’s homes, keeping them warmer for less and helping drive down energy bills.
“It was a pleasure to open Q-Bot’s new headquarters and meet the team responsible for this cutting-edge work, which has contributed to significant progress in improving the energy efficiency of the country’s homes – and will be a key part in achieving our mission to cut carbon emissions and achieve our goal of net zero by 2050.”
Image courtesy of Q-bot
Q-bot uses AI and robots to insulate floors in commercial buildings, as well as homes, and claims the technology allows for quicker installation, with no disruption.
Furthermore, it helps homeowners achieve a C ratings – “if not better” – on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), the company adds.
John Kennedy, Q-bot’s chief executive, was “delighted” to welcome Lord Callanan, along with officials from the Department of Energy Security & Net Zero.
“We explained the benefits of using our robots to deliver high performance retrofit insulation and how robots and AI can help insulate the UK’s 8-12 million hard-to-treat homes with suspended floors,” he said.
“By using our technology, we make the EPC C target easier to achieve. It’s by far the easiest thing to be done to a house, helping people cut their energy bills, and reduce their home’s carbon emissions.”
The company also had a message for the government, via Lord Callanan: that it mustn’t let up on energy efficiency efforts.
Kennedy added: “These are vital to the country’s well-being, and the UK will not be able to achieve its carbon reduction targets without addressing the issue of un-insulated floors.
“We urged Lord Callanan that the government should not relax its commitments and targets on energy efficiency and Net Zero, especially now that the technology is catching up with UK’s Net Zero ambitions.”
Q-Bot is a provider to the UK Government’s Green Homes Local Authority Delivery Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Great British Insulation Scheme. and Home Upgrade Grant, so, the company points out, its work programme and future investment is “heavily dictated by government policy”.
Kennedy added: “We offer by far the most transformational retrofit technology that in 30% of cases can single-handedly upgrade UK homes to EPC C at less than a quarter of the cost currently being debated, and without disruption.”
Q-Bot’s floor insulation is installed in over 200 homes every month, the company says, with building ventilation and building safety “at the heart” of its work.
According to the company, an average-sized UK household insulated by its technology, could typically save around £850 a year in an electrically-heated home, and around £270 a year in a gas-heated home.
Furthermore, the company claims that its floor insulation makes heat pumps operate more efficiently, saving as much as 30% of running costs.
Tom Lipinski, Q-Bot’s co-founder and chief technology officer said: “By reducing heat pump running costs, Q-Bot’s floor insulation can both expand the applicability of heat pumps to the majority of older homes, and help to increase public acceptance of heat pumps.”
Main image: Lord Callanan (centre) with Q-bot’s (human) staff at its new head office in London. Image courtesy of Q-bot
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