Local partners come together to demystify low carbon heating during London Climate Action Week 

To mark London Climate Action Week, London South Bank University (LSBU) and South Bank and Waterloo Sustains Us came together to host Inside the Infinite Shed: Heat Pumps Explained, an open event inviting the local community to explore LSBU’s innovative Infinite Shed and learn how heat pumps work in practice.  

The session aimed to remove some of the barriers and uncertainty facing households considering the switch to low carbon heating, and highlighted the role that collaboration between universities and local partners can play in supporting London’s transition to net zero. 

Supporting London’s transition to net zero is central to LSBU’s mission, with its teaching, research and partnerships focused on developing the skills and solutions needed to decarbonise homes and communities.  

The session introduced the Infinite Shed as a key part of this approach. Officially opened in May 2026, the facility is a research and demonstration space designed to help address the challenge of preparing homes and communities for the future. Created as an infinitely flexible and adaptable structure, it can evolve alongside emerging technologies and approaches to retrofit and low carbon energy systems. 

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Ben Lishman, Associate Dean for Students in the College of Technology and Environment at London South Bank University, said:

"We all want our homes and our workplaces to be comfortable, light, warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Understanding the buildings in which we live and work can be bewildering, though. We designed the Infinite Shed to help our community – students, local residents, businesses – to understand new technologies for heating, cooling and ventilating buildings efficiently. 

By bringing people into the space, we can demystify solutions like heat pumps, and show how they feel when they’re in use. We want the Shed to let people access and understand technologies that can reduce their energy use and increase their comfort."

During the event, attendees were able to see heat pump technology up close, understand how systems operate, and ask questions about what installing one might involve in practice.  

The event also formed part of the wider South Bank and Waterloo Sustains Us programme, which brings together local partners to deliver a coordinated approach to climate action across the neighbourhood. 

Jackson Bylett, Net Zero Programme Lead at South Bank and Waterloo Sustains Us, shared:

“Sustains Us is about bringing partners together to deliver a fairer and greener South Bank and Waterloo. We know that meeting our net zero ambitions will require action at every level, from major energy infrastructure projects through to changes in individual homes. Events like this are an important part of that, helping people build confidence in low carbon technologies such as heat pumps, and connecting people with the support available locally.” 

By bringing LSBU’s ambitions for the Infinite Shed together with local partnership through Sustains Us, Inside the Infinite Shed shows how connecting universities and communities can make low carbon technologies more visible and accessible – supporting London’s climate ambitions.