Building Heat Model
Heating technology has a strong influence on a household’s energy demand profile. Conventional gas boiler profiles are not representative of how low‑carbon technologies operate, and real‑world data for these technologies remains limited. This Excel-based modelling tool addresses this gap by generating synthetic demand profiles for a range of heating technologies:
- Air-source heat pumps (ASHP: air-to-water and air-to-air)
- Ground-source heat pumps (GSHP)
- Electric boilers
- Gas boilers
- Domestic hot water (DHW) via combi/on-demand and cylinder/tank systems
The model simulates a building’s heat demand based on heating system type, key operating parameters, building characteristics, external weather conditions, and occupant behaviour (e.g. thermostat settings).
The model operates at a one-minute timestep over a 24-hour period, simulating indoor air temperature, thermal mass temperature, and emitter (e.g. radiator) temperature based on heat transfer dynamics and system response. Outputs are aggregated to half-hourly resolution, producing space heating and DHW demand profiles suitable for further energy system modelling and analysis.
The tool was developed in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) as part of the Network Innovation Allowance (NIA)-funded Consumer Building Blocks Phase 2 project.
Dataset contents
This dataset includes:
- Example half-hourly demand profiles generated using the modelling tool, alongside the corresponding input assumptions and parameters
- The macro-enabled Excel modelling tool
- A user guide describing how to use the tool and containing a brief overview of the underlying theory
Note: The profiles are synthetic and intended to represent typical behaviour under defined assumptions rather than measured household data. The outputs are suitable for use in energy system modelling and other analysis of low-carbon heating adoption.
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4 Data Files
| Name | Format | Last Changed Sort ascending | Download | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| List of input parameters used for generating the example profiles | CSV | Download (CSV) | view | |
| Example output half-hourly demand profiles | CSV | Download (CSV) | view | |
| Building Heat Model Excel tool | XLSM | Download (XLSM) | view | |
| Model User Guide | PPT | Download (PPT) | view |
Additional Information
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Created | July 30, 2026 at 1:12 PM (UTC+00:00) |
| Rights | NESO Open Data Licence |
| Update frequency | Ad hoc |
cURL integration
# Get a list of dataset's resources
curl -L -s https://api.neso.energy/api/3/action/datapackage_show?id=building-heat-model | grep path
# Get resources
curl -L https://api.neso.energy/dataset/14d99094-165e-4de1-9452-137c2835b102/resource/b809e59a-e681-4ecb-af07-80997abbbd6f/download/example_profiles-list_of_input_parameters.csv
curl -L https://api.neso.energy/dataset/14d99094-165e-4de1-9452-137c2835b102/resource/27522340-008d-4c82-97c1-17eeb7ed1b6a/download/example_profiles-output_data.csv
curl -L https://api.neso.energy/dataset/14d99094-165e-4de1-9452-137c2835b102/resource/78516fb0-9fd1-40cc-9db0-39cca2d78ac9/download/building-heat-model-v1.xlsm
curl -L https://api.neso.energy/dataset/14d99094-165e-4de1-9452-137c2835b102/resource/ff46632d-4e8e-4b19-80f4-2838399dfc92/download/building-heat-model-user-guide-v1.pptx