Reuben Brothers-backed Etopia has agreed a partnership with Samsung Electronics to deliver sustainable smart technology in 6,000 homes in the UK.
The global deal will see Etopia incorporate Samsung’s heat pump technology in every home to deliver better energy efficiency, replacing boilers with hydro units, and enabling renewable energy through solar panels.
It will include additional smart tech appliances within the homes to further optimise energy use.
Francis Chun, president and chief executive for Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said the agreement marked Samsung’s “first step into this field”.
Chun said: “Across everything we do, our efforts aim to be in harmony with our planet, and this partnership sets out to do exactly that.”
Etopia chief executive Joseph Daniels said: “Every Etopia home will have a piece of Samsung. We are bringing the biggest technology company in the world to play in the UK built environment market.”
Samsung and Etopia have tested the technology at a pilot scheme at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford. The scheme utilises Samsung’s plug-and-play smart home system and smart appliances and exceeds the Future Homes Standard set by the government.
“We are using the [heat] pump technology that Samsung has innovated, we are combining it with our processes, our methodology and the smart-home consumer contact pont, making that interactive,” added Daniels.
Etopia aims to provide housing that has either no negative impact on the environment or provides more energy than they use.
“We have pioneered technologies across the construction, energy and IoT industries to create the blueprint for the homes of the future, as we recognise that the climate change fight will need support from all sectors,” said Daniels. “Samsung partnering with Etopia shows that big tech is taking the fight seriously.”
In future phases, Etopia will expand the product to new global markets. It aims to begin distribution in the US in the next 6-12 months, with a target to be in six continents by 2021.
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