This article, The Importance of Heat Network Optimisation Studies, is part of a series of technical insights from our in-house expert and Technical Project Consultant, Daniel Davies.
No fluff. No jargon. Just what you need to know to stay compliant, stay in control and keep residents informed.
Across the UK, too many heat networks are still running on autopilot. They deliver heat, residents are warm, and bills are being sent but when you start looking a little deeper, it becomes clear that most are far from optimised.
Over the past year, I’ve been to sites ranging from new-build developments to long-established schemes. Some have cutting-edge plantrooms with modern controls; others are operating on legacy equipment that hasn’t been touched in years. Yet the outcome is often the same: low delta-Ts, fixed-speed pumps, failed insulation, and metering networks that don’t communicate.
These aren’t isolated issues. They’re the direct result of heat networks not being regularly reviewed for performance, safety, compliance and alignment with their original design intent. That’s where structured technical reviews – from Health Checks through to full optimisation studies – play an essential role.
Why Optimisation Studies Are Needed
Heat networks are becoming one of the most regulated parts of the energy landscape. With Ofgem now overseeing consumer protection and the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) on the horizon, operators will soon be required to show that their systems aren’t just compliant on paper, they’re performing efficiently and as designed in practice.
The challenge is that many schemes were designed and handed over before these standards existed. Over time, controls are overridden, BMS logic gets lost, valves seize, and pipework insulation degrades. The system still works, but not as it should.
I’ve seen networks where return temperatures consistently sit above 60 °C, losing efficiency by the hour. Others have HIUs fitted with actuators that were never connected, meaning no control over primary flow. One development had a full M-Bus data logger installed but it wasn’t accessible to anyone, making performance analysis impossible.
Each of these examples represents avoidable inefficiency. And with rising energy costs, every degree of wasted heat has a financial and environmental impact.
Optimisation isn’t about redesigning a network or installing expensive new kit. It’s about understanding how the existing system is performing and identifying where it can be improved.
Health Checks and Optimisation Studies – Two Levels of Insight
While both aim to improve performance, they differ in scope and depth.
Optimisation Study
A full optimisation study is a comprehensive investigation into how a network performs compared with its design intent and manufacturer specifications. It examines every component and operating parameter, often over several weeks of data gathering. These studies form part of long-term planning or major reinvestment decisions and can highlight the precise technical changes needed to bring a system back to its design benchmark.
Health Checks
Health Checks, on the other hand, are structured, tiered reviews designed to give proportionate visibility of performance, safety, and compliance. They provide the foundation for ongoing network management – the step before or between full optimisation studies. At Data Energy, we offer three tiers of Health Checks:
Tier 1 – Compliance:
Confirms that the network meets baseline safety and regulatory requirements (metering, billing and key plant room checks).
Tier 2 – Performance:
Reviews operational efficiency, control logic and system condition to identify obvious areas of improvement
Tier 3 – Insight:
Uses continuous data monitoring and analytics e.g. Guru Systems’ Pinpoint technology, to track performance in real time, flagging inefficiencies as they occur.
Where a full optimisation study provides detailed technical modelling, a Tier 2 or Tier 3 Health Check gives a clear operational picture – highlighting where performance has drifted and where more detailed investigation may be justified.
Efficiency Gains in Practice
The benefits of optimisation are often underestimated because the improvements aren’t always obvious. A resident might not notice when a pump speed is corrected or when a return temperature drops slightly but the effect on system efficiency can be substantial.
From experience, I’ve witnessed how even small adjustments can make a noticeable difference. Reinstating proper control logic, reconnecting failed actuators, or fine-tuning flow and return temperatures can bring systems back closer to their design intent without the need for major works.
In several cases, networks operating with unnecessarily high return temperatures or fixed-speed pumps have responded well to relatively straightforward tuning and balancing. Those marginal gains add up, improving overall performance, reducing wasted energy, and restoring stability across the system.
It’s a reminder that optimisation isn’t always about investment, it’s about insight, attention to detail and understanding how far the network has drifted from how it was meant to perform.
Linking Performance to Compliance
Efficiency and compliance are often seen as separate conversations but in reality, they’re inseparable.
Under Ofgem and future HNTAS frameworks, operators will need to demonstrate that networks are not only safe and metered, but performing as intended, according to design documentation, manufacturer recommendations, and recognised industry standards.
A heat network optimisation study bridges that gap. It provides a snapshot of where a network stands today and a clear roadmap for improvement, from metering visibility through to operational control and documentation quality. It verifies not only how a network is operating, but whether it’s operating as it was designed to.
It’s not a legal audit, but it’s an essential step towards technical assurance and responsible management.
From Visibility to Value
The improvements from optimisation are often subtle but significant. Residents may not notice a small drop in return temperature or a corrected control loop, but the energy savings can be considerable.
In many of the networks reviewed, reinstating proper control logic, reconnecting failed actuators, or rebalancing flow and return temperatures has delivered measurable gains without major capital spend. These adjustments bring systems closer to design intent and create the data confidence needed to make informed investment choices later.
Performance, Compliance and Continuous Review
Think of a review as a network MOT that confirms whether a system is safe, compliant and performing in line with its design.Â
It doesn’t just expose inefficiencies; it helps prioritise action. Some recommendations might be immediate (like reconnecting a meter or actuator), while others are longer-term (insulation upgrades, new data collection hardware or controls refinement).Â
What’s important is establishing a baseline. Once you know where your network stands, compared with how it was designed to operate, you can make informed decisions about investment, operation, and compliance planning.Â
Too many operators are reactive, only addressing performance when residents complain or costs spike. Health Checks move the conversation towards proactive asset management.Â
The most successful schemes are those that treat optimisation as ongoing. Regular reviews, continuous data monitoring and collaboration between engineers, managing agents and billing teams ensure performance remains aligned with design intent.Â
That’s why at Data Energy, optimisation isn’t viewed as a project, it’s a process. We blend data analysis with on-site observation and technical review to help clients understand not just what needs attention, but why it’s diverged from design.Â
A Final Reflection
Every heat network has potential for improvement, even the best-designed ones. The key is understanding where you stand today and how far you’ve drifted from where you should be.
When you don’t measure, you can’t manage – and when you don’t review, design intent becomes assumption.
A Health Check establishes the baseline and identifies the gaps. A full optimisation study builds on that foundation to test, model and fine-tune performance at a deeper technical level. Together, they enable safe, efficient and compliant heat networks that perform as designed – and stay that way.
Every network is different – so is the right level of review.
Whether you’re planning a full optimisation study or just want an affordable Health Check to benchmark performance, we can help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.
Talk to us about your options today.
Got a Heat Network Challenge? Ask Daniel.
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