Heat pump network

A distributed heating network,. comprising:

• a plurality of individual heat pumps, each heat pump individually coupled to a common heat source of the network, the common heat source of the network comprising a liquid loop within the network, a liquid of the loop being maintained at close to ambient temperature through active heat management of the common heat source, each heat pump being arranged to independently provide or extract heat from the common heat source, the common heat source being further coupled to at least one energy source;
• heat sinks configured to divert excess heat from the common heat source;
• and
• a controller configured to carry out the active heat management and measure a temperature of the common heat source, the controller being arranged, based on the measured temperature of the common heat source, to selectively deliver energy to the common heat source to raise the temperature within the liquid loop and extract heat from the liquid loop using the heat sinks to maintain the temperature of the liquid loop of the common heat source within a predetermined range which is independent of energy provided by the at least one energy source, thereby thermally decoupling the at least one energy source from the plurality of heat pumps.