Big hopes for tiny robot targeting hard to insulate homes

A robot capable of spraying foam insulation under floors will be trialled in Orkney on selected homes this month, following a successful funding bid by Orkney Islands Council to undertake it as a special project with the local Warmworks team.

The Council secured funding from the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme (EES:ABS) to trial the robot on privately-owned homes where traditional methods of underfloor insulation aren’t possible due to issues such as space and obstructions.

The trial itself will be managed by Warmworks, who are appointed by the Council to promote the range of home energy measures available to home owners in Orkney through EES:ABS and to manage any work carried out on homes by local contractors Cloustons.

The local Warmworks team have identified around 20 hard-to-insulate homes from their caseload to take part in the trial.

Steven Aberdein is the Council’s Fuel Poverty Officer and has been involved in efforts to bring the robot to Orkney for the trial.

“Underfloor insulation can make a huge difference to household energy efficiency but is often overlooked, and it can be tricky for some homes.

“This trial will help us understand better what’s involved and whether it’s a good fit for Orkney - depending what we learn it could potentially be something we bid for in future EES:ABS rounds.”

Ross Armstrong, Warmworks’ Managing Director, said: “Q-Bot is a fantastic piece of technology that delivers an innovative insulation solution for homes at risk of losing heat from under their floors.

“Through our work across the country to help people to stay warm at home, we have already used Q-Bot to deliver underfloor insulation in nearly 400 households across Scotland, and we are delighted to now be bringing it to Orkney as part of our wider package of heating and insulation solutions.

“At a time when many of us are worried about our energy costs going up, the Q-Bot technology has the potential to deliver a number of significant benefits. The insulation solution it provides can help to reduce floor heat loss by up to 80%, improve homes’ energy efficiency ratings and offset increases in energy bills. We look forward to supporting the homes the Q-Bot technology will be working in as part of this trial, and I’d encourage people across Orkney to contact us to see how the range of heating and insulation measures we deliver can help them improve the energy efficiency of their home.”

Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee, Gwenda Shearer, said: “We’re pleased to be trialling this as a possible future option to help more householders complete the ‘cube’ of effective insulation on walls, ceiling and floors.”

Over 700 households in Orkney have received funding from the EES:ABS scheme over the past several years towards measures to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The funds are for any private householder experiencing difficulties with their heating costs – and could pay for up to £14k in measures such as insulation and upgraded storage heaters.

Warmworks, who have an office in Kirkwall, can provide further information on the scheme to householders.

You can contact the Warmworks team by email or by phoning 01856 881513 or Freephone 0800 038 6022 – or drop into their office at The Store, 5 West Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall KW15 1AL.

Find out more about the Scottish Government's EES:ABS allocation to Orkney.

Pictures: Ross Armstrong from Warmwork with Kirkwall resident Mrs Margaret Muir - joined in the larger group photo by OIC's Head of Frances Troup (Head of Community Learning, Leisure and Housing) and Councillor Gwenda Shearer (right), Chair of the Council's Education, Leisure and Housing Committee.