Claim OwnershipBetaTalk - The Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Heating Podcast
Subscribed: 183Played: 7,429
Subscribe
© 2025 BetaTalk - The Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Heating Podcast
Description
"Nathan is brilliant at making the complicated simple..." Amber Rudd (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 2015-16)
BetaTalk is an award winning podcast for Local Authorities, Social Housing Groups, Think Tanks, Government, Journalists, Consultants, Developers, Gas, Oil and Heat Pump engineers and the general public.
It is hosted by Nathan Gambling who's family have been involved with heat pump technologies for nearly half a century.
"Nathan is one of the UK's clean heat leaders, so I always watch him closely..." Chris Stark (former CEO of the Climate Change Committee and Head of UK Gov. Mission Control)
The podcast features guests from the policy world as well as some of the UK's remarkable heating engineers. It discusses challenges and opportunities with decarbonised heating.
169 Episodes
Reverse
Send us a text A New Voice Meets Old Hands: BetaTalk's host Nathan, new to media, chats with his friends Joe Sharpe, Joe Dart and Andrew Gavid at Lyrical Communications Episode Summary: In this special episode of Trade Media Uncovered, host Nathan Gambling of the BetaTalk podcast steps into the world of long-standing trade journalism. Nathan, a new voice in the heating sector's media landscape, sits down with the pioneers who have shaped the industry's discourse for decades. We delve into the...
Send us a text Join Nathan on this episode of BetaTalk as he sits down with Olly Cutting, Johann Kühns, and Pranjal Arya from HomeTree. The team from HomeTree shares their incredible journey, from a boiler installation company to a multifaceted energy services provider. We learn how Olly and Pranjal's economic backgrounds, combined with Johann's expertise in Climate Change management and finance from Imperial College London, have shaped their innovative, data-driven approach. The Customer Jou...
Send us a text Join Nathan this week for an exclusive episode recorded live from the Qvantum HQ in Sweden! Nathan sits down with a team of true industry heavyweights to discuss the future of heating solutions for multi-occupancy dwellings. In this insightful conversation, Nathan is joined by his good friend and a titan of the European heat pump sector, Thomas Nowak. As the former General Secretary of the European Heat Pump Association for nearly 18 years, Thomas shares his unparalleled knowle...
1Send us a text Expanding Horizons: BetaTalk's New Newsletter and Website! We're thrilled to announce that BetaTalk is growing! In addition to our regular podcast episodes, we're launching a brand new newsletter and an associated website. This expansion will allow us to bring you even more in-depth content, industry news, and valuable insights into the world of heat pumps and sustainable building. Our newsletter, launching shortly, will be your go-to source for the latest industry developments...
Send us a text Rhiannon and Nathan discuss the recent Installer Show 2025 at Birmingham NEC, covering current trends within the heating industry, including issues related to training. This season is sponsored by Intergas Support the show Learn more about heat pump heating by following Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky
Send us a text In this episode Nathan chats to his friend Ian Edgeworth, author of the recent books "Wellcome to the Wonderful world of Air source Heat Pumps - What Kept You" and "The Pocket Guide to Low Temperature Central Heating" You can find the books at New Perspectives.Com Listen to Ian's journey into teaching and what he and Nathan think of the current situation regarding heat pump training. This season is being sponsored by Intergas who make the quality xylinder - a heat p...
Send us a text The latest episode of BetaTalk dives deep into a topic of critical importance for the future of skilled trades and green technology: the intricate world of Vocational Training Qualifications (VTQs) and how they stack up against General Qualifications (GQs). Host Nathan Gambling, always at the forefront of heating and skills discussions, explores a key differentiator in VTQs: the expectation that ALL learning outcomes must be truly mastered for a qualification to be awarded. Thi...
Send us a text This week on the podcast, Nathan sits down with Nigel from DK Heat Recovery to discuss an innovative approach to energy efficiency. Many businesses across the UK, like meat and food processing plants and butchers, rely on cold storage rooms kept cool by heat pump systems. These facilities also require significant amounts of hot water for their washing-down processes. Similarly, gyms use heat pump systems to maintain a comfortable temperature for workouts and need plenty of hot ...
Send us a text Join Nathan's guests David & Rob from Fornax and dive into the nitty-gritty of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) consultation and explore how third-party finance could be the key to unlocking widespread domestic heat pump adoption. We'll break down the "finance gap challenge," look at what makes third-party ownership work, and dissect the pros and cons of different financing models. In this episode, we discuss: The Finance Gap Challenge: Why current BUS grants alone aren't en...
Send us a text Join us for a fascinating conversation with Mike Costain, the Managing Director of The Installer Show! In this special episode, we pull back the curtain on the UK's leading event for heating and plumbing professionals, exploring what's new, what's next, and how the show is expanding its horizons internationally. But that's not all! Mike also shares his invaluable personal experience as a homeowner, detailing the installation and performance of his own heat pump system. He opens...
Send us a text In the fourth episode of the Heat Pump Ready special bulletin series, Nathan talks to three Heat Pump Ready projects to discuss the topic of ‘Improving the customer journey’. Nathan is joined by Jack Jarvis from EDF, Gareth Robertson from Thermly and Lucy Fairchild from Oxford City Council to discuss. Support the show Learn more about heat pump heating by following Nathan on Linkedin, Twitter and BlueSky
Send us a text In this episode, Nathan invites Mick Wall, his 'expert consumer,' back to have a discussion with the lads from Havenwise, a company dedicated to helping with quality heat pump installations. Havenwise runs an API which optimizes the weather curves on the heat pump, as well as looking at time-of-use tariffs. You can choose to use various functionalities. For example, Mick only uses the optimizer for his space heating. Nathan likes what Henri and Alex at Havenwise are trying to a...
Send us a text Join host Nathan Gambling as he journeys to Intergas HQ alongside legendary heat pump engineer Steve Webster to get the inside scoop on their high-quality stainless steel hot water cylinders, specifically designed for heat pump systems. Steve shares his firsthand experience testing these cylinders on recent installations, highlighting their exceptional build quality and resilience during transportation – a welcome change from the damage often encountered with other brands.In th...
Send us a text Episode Description: Host Nathan dives into the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence and its potential impact on the plumbing and heating industry. Joining him are Barrie and Amrit from Lorefuly, experts in leveraging technology for the trades. Key Discussion Points: The Hallucination Hazard: The trio discusses the crucial issue of Large Language Model (LLM) "hallucinations" – where AI systems confidently present inaccurate or fabricated information. This raises ...
Send us a text Nathan speaks with Leah Robson, owner of a small SME (Your Energy Your Way) installing heat pumps, batteries, and solar, about her recent appearance at Westminster. Leah gave evidence to the "Workforce Planning to Deliver Clean, Secure Energy" Committee, invited through Ellora Coupe of "Her Retrofit Space." The discussion centres on whether Leah's concerns about workforce training, particularly for heat pump installation, were understood by the committee. Key Discussion Points:...
Send us a text In this insightful episode, host Nathan sits down with two key figures from the Heat Pump Association (HPA) – CEO Charlotte Lea and Chair Craig Dolan – to explore the role the HPA plays in the evolving UK heating landscape. They delve into the value the association brings to the industry, particularly as the nation transitions towards low-carbon heating solutions. The conversation tackles the fundamental question of whether industry associations are still necessary in today's r...
Send us a text Nathan chats with Dan Large a Director at Solaris Energy. Dan has been involved with the design, installation and maintenance of heat pump heating systems for a good number of years. The important topic of water quality comes up and Solaris Energy use VDI 2035 methods rather than a chemical inhibitor approach. Dan is on the installer working group at MCS and gives insight into this process. The episode also discusses heat pump controls and how Dan and Solaris Energy...
Send us a text Welcome back to BetaTalk, the podcast dedicated to exploring the exciting world of renewable heating! In this episode, host Nathan is joined by two fantastic guests: Barry Sharp from Renewable Heat and a familiar voice to BetaTalk listeners, and Scott Sanford who has recently embarked on his own renewable heating journey. Our conversation kicks off with a fascinating deep dive into Scott's personal experience installing a Viessmann heat pump system in his own home. We hear firs...
Send us a text Welcome back to the show! In this episode, I'm joined by a good friend and expert in the renewable energy sector, Ken Bone from Ultimate Renewables Supplies. Ken and I dive deep into a topic that's crucial for efficient heating and the future of low-carbon homes: weather compensated heating systems. One of the key points we explore is the apparent lack of understanding within the installer base regarding weather compensation. It's surprising, considering that condensing boilers...
Send us a text In this eye-opening episode, we delve into the contrasting approaches to water treatment in European domestic heating systems for corrosion prevention. While the UK predominantly champions chemical inhibitor solutions under the EN BS 7593 standard, many European nations embrace a wider range of methods. Surprisingly, some UK chemical inhibitor manufacturers who exclusively promote their products domestically readily offer non-chemical alternatives on the continent. Host Natha...
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
a very insightful episode. not everyone's subject I'm sure so don't criticise if it doesn't interest you. The subject is data and reading it to actually see what's happening in a building, not just heat pumps but any heating system, even talk about cooling because it's all about heat transfer. there's recognition that all of the new stuff has to be easy to install and set up but they still don't know how to do this. They recognise that the current control methodology is still in the 1960s.
All this looks really innovative. It's great to see companies focusing on more efficient and sustainable ways to handle industrial heat. This could be an exciting opportunity for people looking to invest in renewable energy technologies. For those interested in self-reliant solutions, browsing 4patriots https://4patriots.pissedconsumer.com/review.html could provide some additional products and ideas for energy efficiency. Caldera's approach could have a big impact on how industries manage energy in the future.
again great episode.... explained every except... what a Inhibitor actually is? does it lower temp somehow? i cant relate to that here in NL? i'll look it up also.. thx!!
Nathan, I've enjoyed listening to your podcasts for a long time now but find you are drifting more and more into high level discussions which are frankly quite boring. For me and I imagine many listeners want to hear about the latest and popular products in the current UK heat pump market and feedback from home users and details about the systems installed. For example hearing about how home users have retrofitted heat pumps, costs and products used. For now I am unsubscribing from your podcast as I can't endure another boring episode Mike
I am a consumer looking for the best way to stop using fossil fuels in my home. I have done a lot in terms of insulation and looking at how best to get rid of my gas boiler, hence I dip into this podcast. I'm afraid every time I listen it just convinces me more this is not for me. And this particular edition sounds like a complete waste of public money promoting what is only ever going to be a small niche. Sorry!
You should listen to the majority of your customers, heat pumps simply won't work in the homes we live in.
Nathan, Great episode with Richard. Enjoyed all the info on modulating gas boiler heating with examples of from manufacturers, e.g. Alpha and Intergas. Please bring him back again to do one on domestic air sourced heat pumps with similar examples and manufacturer recommendations and things to look out for, e.g. best side of house to place heat pump, noise issues with neighbours, retrofit to micro bore systems, etc Mike
I'm a homeowner who is very sceptical about having a heat pump and this podcast is only reinforcing that. I could afford it but the amount of change and the lack of experienced competent engineers puts it way down my list. Renewable energy and an electric combi boiler sounds much better.
Thank you for this, you've done a great job in convincing me that the last thing I will consider is a heat pump. Too complex, have to change radiators and find space for a hot water cylinder again. An electric combi boiler combined with vehicle to grid / home technology and off peak tariffs will do it for me, my insulation is good and none of the other high costs and complexity.
A very useful podcast! I think people need to know more about renewable energy because it is our future. U.S. consumption of renewables is expected to grow over the next 30 years at an average annual rate of 1.8 percent, higher than the overall growth rate in energy consumption (0.2 percent per year) under a business-as-usual scenario. These are very good predictions, and I hope they will come true. But I'm wondering if more software will be created to simplify the workflow. For example, I heard that this software is now widely used - https://fluix.io/industry-renewable-energy . But will only it be enough, or will it be necessary to come up with something else?