INDUSTRY NEWS
MILLIONS OF HOMES MAY BE UNABLE TO DECARBONISE HEATING
A
round 18 million homes may need to install a hot water cylinder in order for the UK to meet Net Zero according to the Hot Water
Association (HWA). The HWA has highlighted gaps in government
policy, which could result in unnecessary costs to consumers and the UK falling short of Net Zero, or at the very least, making it harder to reach. A recent HWA report ‘No Place Like Home’ comes with a stark warning for government to ‘do more’. Commenting, Isaac Occhipinti, director of external aff airs at the HWA said: “The political focus of decarbonising heating has been solely on the heat source; such as boilers and heat pumps. There has been little to no focus on hot water cylinders, and recognition for the vital part they play in the effi cient operation of low carbon heating. There is also, currently untapped potential for them to act as domestic batteries.” “To decarbonise heating, all UK homes will need low to zero carbon heating. Most, currently available,
low carbon heating solutions require a hot water cylinder.” “With a gap of 18 million homes in England, it is clear that homeowners are not replacing or installing cylinders at the speed required to meet our decarbonisation targets. Also, where a hot water store has been removed the space is often repurposed for additional storage or bathrooms, and therefore re-introducing a hot water store can prove challenging.” “ The Government must do more to educate
homeowners, local authorities and social landlords on the need for hot water storage, and homeowners should be able to access incentives if they wish to replace their hot water cylinder with no stipulation on the type of system to be installed only that it is a suitable replacement. This will also mean that in the future the cost of moving to new heating systems will be reduced.” “In addition, the energy storage potential associated with the UK’s current installed capacity
Above: Isaac Occhipinti, director of external aff airs at the HWA
of domestic hot water cylinders is comparable to our entire fl eet of pumped-hydro-electric storage and with just a fraction of this resource; it would be possible to absorb the largest surpluses of renewable power that arise from off shore wind and solar PV.”
“If we do not invest in this untapped asset then
it will become more expensive to upgrade homes to become ready for Net Zero. We also will not be able to take advantage of the current grid balancing potential of millions of hot water stores.”
VIESSMANN TAKES CONTROL OF PHS T
he Viessmann Group has taken a majority stake in Pacifi ca Home Services (PHS), simultaneously backing the reinvestment of the management team.
The deal includes the acquisition of Oakes
Energy Services, which will be integral to the development of the new business. PHS is based in Durham, UK and well known to end-customers within the UK under the brand 0800 Repair. The management team from PHS will stay on board and remain invested for the long term. The corresponding agreement was signed by both Viessmann and the seller, Pacifi ca Group, a portfolio company of leading European growth
investor, Synova. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. PHS is a specialist in both installation and maintenance of integrated HVAC solutions with a further specialisation on heat pumps. In total, PHS employs approximately 240 people. In 2022, the company will generate sales of approximately £45m. The company has a successful business in the decarbonisation of existing domestic buildings and is well positioned to benefi t from the associated strong demand for heat pumps. “With the acquisition of PHS, we are
strengthening our services and sales activities within the UK for the long term,” said Timo
Tauber, managing director Viessmann Investment GmbH. “Even more importantly, we are positioning ourselves sustainably in the strongly-growing British heat pump market.” With the investment into PHS, Viessmann gains a partner that is ideally positioned to sell integrated sustainable climate solutions, and their corresponding services. ‘With Viessmann’s high-effi ciency heat pumps and
integrated technology solutions in our portfolio, we can further accelerate our leading position in the UK market and thus make an even more sustainable contribution to achieving climate targets’, said Phil Pallister, chief executive, PHS. PHS is highly active in the North of Great Britain, but has expanded in recent years to operate nationally across the United Kingdom. The British heating sector is highly regulated by legislation. For many years, heating with gas has only been permitted with condensing technology, whereby approximately 98% of the gaseous energy is converted into heat and hot water. As of 2025 even this highly-effi cient technology will not be permitted within new homes. This is where heat pumps come in. As a European specialist in the electric heat pump segment, Viessmann is well-equipped for this opportunity. Building on their strong pedigree, the family company will introduce in April, their next generation of heat pumps that can be used for not only the well-insulated new build sector, but existing renovated buildings due to their high-fl ow temperature capability.
6 February 2022
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