In the Salford Acoustics Research Centre, CDT Sound Futures student Katie Salter has been leading a series of innovative listening experiments designed to understand how people perceive heat pump noise — a topic growing in importance as the UK accelerates its transition to low‑carbon heating.
Katie’s work focuses on the psychoacoustic factors that shape how communities experience heat pump sound in real‑world settings. Her controlled listening tests explore several key elements:
- Tonality – how tonal components influence perceived annoyance
- Acoustic character – the overall sound quality and its distinct features
- Placement and orientation – how installation choices affect what people hear
- Background sound levels – how heat pumps blend into or stand out from their surroundings
Supported by CIBSE, Katie’s research aims to provide evidence‑based insights that will help manufacturers, engineers, and policymakers design quieter, better‑integrated, and more community‑friendly heat pump systems.
As heat pumps become a central pillar of the UK’s net‑zero strategy, understanding how people experience their sound is essential. Katie’s work is helping ensure that the transition to low‑carbon heating is not only sustainable — but also comfortable and acceptable for the communities who will live with these technologies every day.