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rime Minister Keir Starmer is eyeing a raft of new policies in the quest for Net Zero, including provisions to maximise the use


of renewable energy sources. The new Labour government has pledged to make the UK a “clean energy superpower”, but we will need to take incremental steps to get there rather than jumping to the end goal overnight. Along the way, many homeowners are changing


their fossil-fuel-powered heating systems for heat pumps. Others are reducing fossil fuel consumption by integrating renewable technologies into home heating systems.


1. Solar thermal panels


One of the oldest renewable technologies for home heating is solar thermal panels. In a typical solar thermal configuration, you generally have around four square metres of solar thermal panels on the roof of the house, connected to a twin coil hot water cylinder. A house’s annual hot water consumption could be generated by solar thermal panels around 70% of the time, according to data from solar thermal systems currently in use. This approach gives homeowners a healthy reduction of non- renewable energy use.


2. Solar PV systems


Over time, some of the interest in solar thermal has waned, and been replaced by solar PV (photovoltaics). Solar PV cells generate electricity for everywhere in the home, but some installations also divert energy into either a thermal store, filled with water or phase-change material, or an immersion heater, to heat hot water storage cylinders. Solar PV systems are proving very popular, and we see that most new-build properties now come with some form of solar PV integrated into the roof.


RENEWABLE ENERGY INTEGRATION


Three options for renewable energy integration in home heating


Martyn Bridges, director of external affairs at Worcester Bosch, reviews the current options for renewable energy source integration and the untapped potential of hybrid systems


3. Integrated hybrid systems


While it’s positive to see renewable energy technologies increasingly integrated into residential properties, we feel there is an untapped opportunity to use heat pumps in tandem. Heat pumps can be integrated into existing fossil fuel systems to form a hybrid system and further reduce reliance on non-renewables. Typically, these systems use a heat pump sized for


around 50% to 55% of the peak heating load of the house. Here, trials and in-situ measurements have recorded the heat pump carrying 80% of the heating load across the year. The boiler is occasionally used to support, for


example when it’s exceptionally cold outside, or when grid electricity is at its highest price or carbon intensity, if the setup uses a sophisticated control system.


Overall, a hybrid system represents perhaps the most accessible option for many homeowners, supporting a large-scale transition towards renewable technologies. It’s certainly well within a heating installer’s grasp, only requiring them to attend a short training course to install a hybrid system. By contrast, solar PV systems usually call for a specialist installation company, given that they require a good deal of electrician’s and a roofing specialists work.


The government’s stance on hybrid systems


The previous Conservative government acknowledged that hybrid systems were available, but unlike many other European countries, it chose not to part-fund them through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. We were somewhat disappointed by this


approach. We feel that hybrids are an effective means to transition homes from fossil-fuelled systems to lower carbon alternatives for heating – and ultimately, to a full heat pump system. Fitting a hybrid system would enable the cost of


the necessary insulation upgrades, and perhaps radiator upgrades, to be undertaken over several years rather than all in one go. Also, with boilers generally being unplanned distress purchases, hybrid systems would enable rapid heat and water restoration – unlike a full heat pump system, which can take weeks before services are restored to the property. With the new Labour government in place,


we will continue to lobby for acknowledgement that hybrid systems could make a wonderful collaboration, particularly with the combi boiler. Hopefully, the government will look to our European counterparts to see their successes with hybrid systems. After all, it’s a far greater stride towards net zero to decarbonise millions of homes by around 80% than a few thousand homes by 100%.


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