BSEE
District heating: the future of UK heat distribution?
n line with the government’s commitment to reduce our carbon footprint, gas boilers are on their way out. Here, Tony Kirby, sales director at Warmafloor, explains the benefits of an energy-efficient alternative, district heating, and how these systems are set to transform the sector over the next few years.
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During the colder months, the majority of residents across the UK keep warm using gas central heating. In fact, a survey conducted by the UK department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in 2019 indicated that 85 per cent of respondents use gas central heating in their homes. In the coming years, this is a figure that is set to dramatically decline across the UK. As part of new government regulations, from 2025, the use of gas boilers will be banned in all new homes. These new regulations are part of a ‘Strategic Framework for Low Carbon Heating’, to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions and ultimately help to benefit the environment. In a nutshell, the strategy aims to: • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of low carbon and renewable heat sources
• Improve security of energy supplies by diversifying the energy sources for heating, thus reducing the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels. With this in mind, there is a huge amount of pressure on specifiers to urgently look at alternative and more efficient heating solutions, and help to reduce the UK’s reliance on gas boilers. One such alternative is district heating, but what’s it all about and how will it affect the industry?
What is district heating?
District heating, also referred to as a heat network, is an eco-friendly method for heating large-scale residential and commercial developments.
District heat generation is based on recycled heat from power generation and the direct use of renewable energy resources, such as geothermal heat or biomass. These systems work by generating hot water from a centralised boiler, which is then distributed through a system of insulated pipes into multiple dwellings at once. It’s often installed in high-rise apartment blocks, as well as commercial and public buildings, because a large amount of heat can be distributed to several apartments through individual heat interface units (HIUs).
What are the benefits?
District heating comes with a whole host of benefits, the most salient being that it is one of the most cost- effective ways of reducing carbon emissions from heating, reducing emissions by over 75 per cent compared to gas boilers. What’s more, the efficiency and carbon- saving potential of the systems increases as the networks grow and connect to each other. They also provide an opportunity to exploit larger scale renewable and recovered heat sources that otherwise cannot be used. District systems have one large centralised heat source, which supplies all of the buildings and properties in a scheme, rather than each having individual boilers, making entire developments far more energy efficient. In some instances, the heat network is supplied by a dedicated facility, such as a combined heat and power plant; in others, it uses heat recovered from industry and urban infrastructure, waste plants and even canals and rivers.
The HIUs also often have additional features that improve energy efficiency. For example, Warmafloor has developed its ownHIU, Calefa, which has unique four- option bypass controls to ensure optimum efficiency.
HEATING
While district heating is
predominantly used in urban areas, they also have their place in geographical areas that are located off the main gas grid. This is because, unlike gas boilers, they don’t rely on fossil fuels and instead operate using a large renewable heat source. This opens up an opportunity with commercial and industrial sectors, like agriculture, where reliable and cost-efficient heat is critical, especially in smaller communities.
About Warmafloor
Warmafloor provides a total concept to commission solution including design, supply and installation for surface heating and cooling, completing more than 500 installations per year. In addition to our many private and corporate customers, over the last 30 years Warmafloor has been privileged to be involved with some prestigious landmark buildings including the British Museum, the Mary Rose Museum, the National Gallery and Stonehenge Visitor Centre.
How common are district heating systems?
District heating systems are becoming an increasingly popular solution for the supply of low-carbon heat to homes. The UK market share for district heating is rapidly growing, with approximately 55,000 district heating units being installed each year in the UK, accounting for two per cent of heat demand – figures that are set to rise dramatically following the ban on gas boilers. The reason for this being that once the gas boiler ban comes into place, there will only be two potential options for domestic heating: electric boilers or district heating. However, something to bear in mind when using electric boilers for large- scale developments is that they can place a large strain on the national grid, essentially meaning that district heating is the only viable, cost- efficient option.
24 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AUGUST 2020
For the UK to effectively meets its carbon targets, its estimated that around 18 per cent of UK heat will need to come from district heating networks by 2050. To help support the uptake of district heating and extend its capacity across the UK, the government has launched a £320 million investment programme.
What does the future of district heang look like?
Over the next five years and beyond, we are likely to see a significant increase in the adoption of district heating systems across the UK and we expect to see them commonly included as part of new housing developments. To help drive this shift towards renewable energy heating, it’s crucial that specifiers are up to date with the latest government regulations and are aware of the vital role district heating will play in the sustainable future of the industry. That said, there is a long way to go before the UK reaches anywhere near the levels of uptake elsewhere in Europe. For example,
Copenhagen is currently leading the way as the city that is almost entirely served by district heating, setting an example for other cities to follow in the future as we attempt to take control of the climate emergency. For more information about Calefa, or any other products available from Warmafloor, visit the website.
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