Robert Whitney IEng MIET FCIPHE, Heating & Renewables Specialist, takes a look at 5 of the most interesting products that he saw at InstallerSHOW 2026:
In 2026, the story isn’t about higher SCOPs. It’s about solving real-world retrofit hurdles, like tight plant rooms, legacy radiators, restricted outdoor space, and regulatory compliance challenges.
Here are five stand-out innovations solving these frontline challenges and reshaping the trade this year.
1. Trianco Activair Indoor Heat Pump Range
What It Is: An all-in-one indoor air source heat pump engineered specifically for properties where outside footprint is scarce or off-limits. Operating without an external outdoor unit, it draws ambient outside air in and expels it via quiet, high-efficiency wall ducting. Learn more: https://trianco.co.uk/catalog/indoor-air-source-heat-pumps
Why It’s Unique: Trianco has essentially packaged the compressor, evaporator, and refrigeration loop directly into a compact indoor cabinet. Available in solo or combined cylinder configurations (with low-GWP R290 options), it connects outside through core-drilled wall penetrations that feel much more like fitting a standard boiler flue than hanging a heavy monobloc on an exterior wall.
Why It Will Win: It unlocks the massive, underserved apartment and terraced housing market. Installers don’t need planning permissions, complex external bracketry, or anti-vibration pad work. It installs like a combi boiler inside, drastically cutting site time while delivering true heat pump efficiency to space-constrained homes.
2. Luthmore One electric combi boiler
What It Is: A zero-emission, tankless wall-mounted electric combi boiler integrated with high-density Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) thermal/electrical energy storage modules. Learn more: https://www.luthmore.com/how-it-works
Why It’s Unique: Where traditional direct electric boilers suffer from eye-watering running costs, the Luthmore One uses built-in smart-charging battery storage to absorb cheap off-peak tariffs or solar PV surplus during the day. It matches the form factor, hydronic connections, and hot water delivery (up to 30 kW thermal equivalent) of a high-end gas combi—without needing an external unit or unvented hot water cylinder.
Why It Will Win: It serves as the ultimate “drop-in” low-carbon alternative for properties where a traditional heat pump isn’t physically viable. Because it reuses existing 22mm/15mm pipework and standard radiators without requiring three-phase electrical upgrades or hot water cylinders, installers can complete a full system swap in under a day.
3. Adia Heat Pump System Translator
What It Is: An intelligent, retrofit control platform designed to act as a bridge between high-efficiency heat pumps and existing radiator networks. Learn more: https://www.adiathermal.co.uk/
Why It’s Unique: Rather than forcing homeowners to tear out microbore pipework or replace radiators, Adia uses distributed micro-sensors and automated room-by-room hydronic balancing. It continuously calculates real-time room heat loss, dynamically adjusts flow temperatures, and optimises heat pump weather compensation curves.
Why It Will Win: It removes the biggest barrier to consumer adoption: disruption and upgrade cost. By turning a property’s legacy radiator circuit into an actively balanced low-temperature network, installers can deploy heat pumps faster, maintain high seasonal performance (COP), and drastically lower the barrier to entry for Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) projects.
4. Hydronicly Heating System Designer
What It Is: A cloud based, engineering-led design and calculation suite tailored to streamline heat loss calculations, pipe sizing, and system architecture for heat pump retrofits. Learn more: https://www.hydronicly.com/
Why It’s Unique: Hydronicly bridges the gap between raw engineering compliance (MIS 3005 standards) and practical site execution. Unlike clunky spreadsheets or overly complex CAD software, it provides intuitive spatial layout tools, real-time dynamic hydronic balancing checks, and auto-generated schematic documentation that engineers can take straight onto the job site.
Why It Will Win: Precision design is what separates a 4.2 COP heat pump installation from a noisy 2.1 COP nightmare. Hydronicly cuts office survey-to-design admin time by more than half while drastically reducing human error in emitter sizing, giving engineers the confidence to quote faster and commission right the first time.
5. Mixergy iHP Integrated Heat Pump Cylinder
What It Is: A top-tier hot water cylinder with an integrated heat pump module mounted directly above the vessel, engineered specifically for unvented domestic hot water (DHW) production. Learn more: https://www.mixergy.co.uk/solutions/hot-water/ihp-x/
Why It’s Unique: It brings Mixergy’s signature top-down smart thermal stratification to a dedicated heat pump water heater. By heating water from the top down rather than heating the entire vessel at once, it achieves ultra-fast hot water recovery times and uses up to 70% less energy than standard direct electric cylinders.
Why It Will Win: Hot water production is often the Achilles’ heel of heat pump system design, especially during peak winter months. The Mixergy iHP allows installers to decouple DHW heating from the space heating heat pump—or install it as a standalone hot water decarbonization solution alongside existing systems. Its compact footprint, smart grid connectivity, and rapid recharge make it a clear favorite for modern plant room designs.
Find out more from Rob at: www.robertwhitney.org
