Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Heating a home with cold air sounds like it breaks the laws of physics. Actually, it uses them.
Air source heat pumps can be up to 5Γ more efficient than a gas boiler... and the secret is 200-year-old thermodynamics, not magic. Matt Lipson from Undaunted, Imperial College's clean tech innovation hub, explains exactly how they work, busts the most common myths, and introduces the next generation of heat pump technology in development.
The Royal Institution building itself is now heated by air source heat pumps β reducing carbon emissions from our Grade I-Listed building by 42%, putting us in the top 20% of non-domestic energy performance ratings in the UK, thanks to support from the Mayor of London.
π CHAPTERS
0:00 β The question that sounds impossible
0:31 β Why heating needs to change
1:16 β How heat pumps actually work
1:54 β The thermodynamics (First & Second Law)
2:52 β Why 500% efficiency doesn't break physics
3:35 β Common heatpump myths busted
4:29 β Air, water & ground source heat pumps
5:14 β The next generation: Terra Bora & Anzen
π€ Matt Lipson is an associate at NEST, the UK's innovation agency for social good, and works at Undaunted, Imperial College London's hub for clean tech innovation.
π Filmed at the Royal Institution, London β where the electric motor, photography, and the discovery of noble gases were first announced to the world.
#HeatPumps #CleanEnergy #Physics #Thermodynamics #RoyalInstitution #heatpump #howdoheatpumpswork #airsourceheatpump #heatpumpexplained #homeheating #gasboileralternative #climatechange #climatechangesolutions
Heating a home with cold air sounds like it breaks the laws of physics. Actually, it uses them.
Air source heat pumps can be up to 5Γ more efficient than a gas boiler... and the secret is 200-year-old thermodynamics, not magic. Matt Lipson from Undaunted, Imperial College's clean tech innovation hub, explains exactly how they work, busts the most common myths, and introduces the next generation of heat pump technology in development.
The Royal Institution building itself is now heated by air source heat pumps β reducing carbon emissions from our Grade I-Listed building by 42%, putting us in the top 20% of non-domestic energy performance ratings in the UK, thanks to support from the Mayor of London.
π CHAPTERS
0:00 β The question that sounds impossible
0:31 β Why heating needs to change
1:16 β How heat pumps actually work
1:54 β The thermodynamics (First & Second Law)
2:52 β Why 500% efficiency doesn't break physics
3:35 β Common heatpump myths busted
4:29 β Air, water & ground source heat pumps
5:14 β The next generation: Terra Bora & Anzen
π€ Matt Lipson is an associate at NEST, the UK's innovation agency for social good, and works at Undaunted, Imperial College London's hub for clean tech innovation.
π Filmed at the Royal Institution, London β where the electric motor, photography, and the discovery of noble gases were first announced to the world.
#HeatPumps #CleanEnergy #Physics #Thermodynamics #RoyalInstitution #heatpump #howdoheatpumpswork #airsourceheatpump #heatpumpexplained #homeheating #gasboileralternative #climatechange #climatechangesolutions
