Industry insight


The BUS puts Net Zero in our sights


Three years ago, the UK made a pledge to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, and since then, the challenge of decarbonising heating and hot water production has become a vital part of reaching this target comments Russell Dean, head of residential heating a ventilation at Mitsubishi Electric


H


eating and hot water make a signifi cant contribution to a building’s emissions, and create over a third (38%) of the total carbon


emissions in the UK. Because of this, tech that can help to reduce these emissions will be essential to reaching Net Zero. Fortunately, the technology to heat buildings in


a more energy effi cient, renewable way is already available – in the form of heat pumps. To encourage uptake of these types of renewable technologies, the Government has introduced a number of incentives – the most recent of which is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). The scheme is available to homes and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales.


Why heat pumps are a green heating choice


The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will make heat pumps more accessible for UK homeowners, which will in turn help the country to move towards more renewable forms of heat and away from gas and oil. Heat pumps have the potential to deliver CO2


Homeowners will be incentivised to choose more


eco-friendly heating alternatives such as ground and air source heat pumps, or in some cases, biomass boilers. For those already considering replacing their old


central heating boiler with a modern, renewable heating system, the grant could be a welcome cost- saving opportunity.


Russell Deane


savings of up to 70% compared to conventional electric heating, and up to 65% compared to an A-rated gas boiler. Though these statistics can vary depending on the time of year and type of heat pump, around 66% of the energy needed to heat buildings with heat pumps comes from natural sources. The other 34% is derived from electricity which, if sourced from sustainable sources such as solar or wind, reduces the carbon impact of a heat pump to zero. However, the Climate Change Committee has estimated that 19 million heat pumps will need to be installed by 2050, in order to reach the Net Zero goal. This means that it is critical for heat pump uptake to be increased, and for them to become the fi rst choice for building managers planning renovations or new builds, as they are designed for both retrofi tting and installation in new property. With the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme, consumers


will be able to support this goal and make more environmentally friendly decisions when it comes to heat and hot water.


What is the BUS?


The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) launched on the 11 April 2022 and aims to support the Government’s plan to decarbonise the UK’s buildings. This scheme will be available for three years and grants will become available from Spring 2022.


The aim of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is to support low carbon heat technologies in up to 90,000 homes and buildings across England and Wales, as well as supporting up to 240,000 jobs in the industry across the UK by 2035. The Government is also aiming to have all heating systems installed in UK homes from 2034 to be low carbon options.


Who qualifi es for the BUS?


The Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies to any homes and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales with an installation capacity of up to 45kWth. The Government is investing £450 million into the BUS, which will be managed and overseen by Ofgem, and is off ering grant payments towards the cost of installation. Successful applications will receive fi nancial support for installing air source heat pumps (ASHP), ground source heat pumps (GSHP) and, in some instances, biomass boilers where a heat pump is not a viable option. Grants off ered will be: • £5,000 for ASHPs and biomass boilers • £6,000 for GSHPs


It is hoped that this scheme will signifi cantly


increase the number of heat pumps installed in the UK, and lead to a lowering of manufacturing costs and make heat pumps cheaper to purchase in the long-term. Installation costs will also be likely to decrease as more engineers are upskilled to work with renewable heating technology. To reach the UK’s ambitious Net Zero targets, heat pumps are an ideal choice – and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will play a vital role in incentivising homeowners to make the switch.


www.heatingandventilating.net


16 June 2022


DOWNLOAD THE HVR APP NOW


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36