CIBSE and HPA UK publish domestic heat pump design and installation guide

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has launched a Domestic Heat Pump Design and Installation Guide, developed jointly with Heat Pump Association UK (HPA UK), to coincide with the start of National Heat Pump Week 2026.

CIBSE said the guide, announced on 12 October, took more than two years to produce and responds to gaps in existing guidance identified by its Domestic Building Services Panel (DBSP) and by HPA UK.

According to the CIBSE knowledge portal, the first edition covers monobloc air-to-water heat pump systems in both new-build and retrofit homes. CIBSE describes it as an independent and technically robust reference.

Dr Jaydeep Bhadra, Domestic Sector Technical Manager at CIBSE, said: "This guide addresses a real need in the industry. Heat pumps demand a different approach to design, installation and commissioning than traditional heating systems."

What the guide covers

CIBSE said the guide provides heat pump-specific guidance across the full lifecycle of a system: survey, design, installation, commissioning and handover.

Where possible, it simplifies complex design considerations and sets out clear boundaries so that users can recognise when a project falls outside its methodology and needs an alternative approach, the institution said.

The intended audience is broad. CIBSE listed experienced designers, installers and heating engineers, plumbers moving into low-carbon heating, trainees, consultants, specifiers and anyone needing a reliable reference for calculations or design decisions.

Charlotte Lee, Chief Executive of HPA UK, said: "Developing this guide has been a collaborative effort, bringing together expertise from across the industry to address the practical challenges of domestic heat pump design and installation."

The companion heating design guide

The new document is designed to complement the CIBSE Domestic Heating Design Guide (2026), which CIBSE said is heat-generator-neutral and focused primarily on heating system design.

That guide was published in January 2026, with CIBSE describing it as a response to a rapidly evolving heating landscape. It introduced a System Criteria Document to provide an auditable record of design decisions, and uses CIBSE weather data with 28 zones and four outdoor design temperatures for heat loss calculations.

A revised version, numbered 2026-02, was published in July 2026 and supersedes the January edition, according to CIBSE.

The panel behind it

CIBSE describes the DBSP as the independent expert knowledge base and forum for the UK domestic building services industry. It is an association of associations with more than 12 member organisations, including HPA UK, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA), the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC), OFTEC, HETAS, BSRIA and BRE.

A week of installer guidance

The launch follows separate guidance from HPA UK, published on 7 October 2026, on insulating external pipework for air-to-water heat pumps. HPA UK said the document is endorsed by MCS and is the latest in its series of technical guidance documents. Nancy Jonsson, HPA UK Technical Consultant, said the association wanted to keep supporting installation businesses in understanding regulations and standards.

National Heat Pump Week 2026 runs from 12 to 16 October. HPA UK describes it as a new UK-wide campaign to accelerate the transition to heat pumps, run in partnership with Nineteen Group, organiser of InstallerSHOW. The association said the campaign partners have a combined reach of more than one million built environment professionals.

The guide is available through the CIBSE knowledge portal as the CIBSE Domestic Heat Pump Design and Installation Guide (2026).