NET ZERO BUILDINGS
Heat networks leading the charge for low carbon new build homes
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In the evolving landscape of residential new build development, achieving carbon neutrality and sustainability has become paramount thanks to the UK’s ambitious target of getting to Net Zero by 2050 and regulations like the Future Homes Standard. John Marsh, GTC COO explains the role of Community Heat Hubs
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or building services engineers, this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The UK housing sector is a major contributor to carbon emissions, and the residential sector alone is
responsible for around 20%. One of the most promising solutions for decarbonising the delivery of heat and hot water into UK homes are heat networks.
Heat networks have long been utilised across the globe. In the UK, heat networks have predominantly been installed across high-rise, high-density schemes, but in the last year a heat network solution designed for low-rise, low-density schemes has been developed. It uses the tried and tested technology and is now being rolled out across the country with several of the UK’s largest housebuilders on new build sites. Community Heat Hubs use large scale air
source heat pumps and thermal stores to produce hot water in the site central Heat Hub. Heat and hot water are delivered into homes through a site network of insulated pipes. Community Heat Hubs remove the need for individual air source heat pumps to be mounted outside every home and crucially they:
Meet Future Homes Standard, reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one
Address grid capacity issues, using the thermal stores to flatten the site’s grid demand. This significantly lowers a site’s overall peak demand compared with individual heat pumps
Lower cost for house builders and lower customer bills by up 20%, compared to individual air source heat pumps
- Will be regulated by OFGEM from 2025 offering homeowners the ultimate protection on price and service levels
In a bid to accelerate heat network role out, it is vital that that housebuilders are offered choice. Community Heat Hubs are one option. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps, also launched this year for new build sites, are another option. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps work by extracting naturally occurring, stored thermal energy from the ground to provide consistent, energy-efficient heating. The solution offers a clean alternative to gas
through a ground source heat pump installed within each property, which is connected to a shared network of hidden underground pipes. The small, compact heat pump sits underneath a water cylinder inside the home, saving valuable space and eliminating the need for any external kit.
Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps can: -
Community Heat Hubs explained
Bring a complete end-to-end heating, hot water and cooling solution. This inclusion of passive cooling helps Part L Building Regulation compliance
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Meet Future Homes Standard, reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one
Offer up to five times the efficiency of gas and a 30% increased efficiency than an equivalent individual air source heat pump
Both heat network solutions rely on shared infrastructure and can scale to meet the heating demands of entire communities. They also offer a more efficient, centralised approach to energy generation and distribution compared to carbonised methods. One of the most compelling reasons heat networks are gaining traction in new build residential housing is their ability to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Heat networks improve energy efficiency by centralising heat generation. Heat networks benefit from higher efficiencies due to the stable and renewable nature of the energy sources they tap into. This centralised approach reduces transmission losses and ensures a more consistent and reliable heat supply across the network. Building services engineers are at the forefront of designing, installing, and maintaining the heating and energy systems that power residential buildings. The rise of heat networks presents a number of benefits and opportunities for professionals in this field.
1. Compliance with regulations
As building codes and regulations become more stringent, engineers will adapt to new standards that require a significant reduction in carbon emissions. Heat networks offer a straightforward path to compliance with decarbonisation targets such as the Future Homes Standard. Heat networks provide a compliant and scalable solution to meet these evolving demands.
2. Sustainability and future-proofing The integration of heat networks into new
build residential projects helps future-proof housing stock against rising energy costs and potential shifts in energy supply. Heat networks that incorporate renewable sources like large scale heat pumps ensure that homes remain sustainable for years to come, regardless of future energy price fluctuations or policy changes. For building services engineers, this is an opportunity to design buildings that will continue to meet sustainability goals over their entire lifespan.
3. Energy management and optimisation
For building services engineers, heat networks offer an exciting opportunity to leverage advanced energy management systems (EMS) to optimise energy use. Through the use of smart meters, sensors, and building management systems (BMS), engineers can monitor and control heat network performance in real-time. This enables predictive maintenance, energy savings, and better operational efficiency, ensuring that the network operates at peak performance. Heat networks, including Community Heat Hubs and Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps, are poised to play a pivotal role in the construction of low-carbon, energy-efficient new build residential homes. In a world where decarbonisation is no longer optional, heat networks provide a pathway to greener, more resilient housing stock. They align with both regulatory imperatives and market demand for sustainable, low-carbon solutions, making them a central pillar in the transition to a net-zero future. What’s more Community Heat Hubs and Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps can deliver against these goals right now, at scale and at pace.
Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps explained
24 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JANUARY 2025
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