INDUSTRY INSIGHT


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he Future Homes Standard is set to be introduced in 2025 and will come into full effect in 2027. This mandates that new homes must


achieve a 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to current building regulations. Heating engineers will have to adopt energy-efficient, low- carbon technologies to comply with the standard. Additionally, Part L of the Building Regulations requires that energy use in buildings is minimised, and any energy used comes from low-carbon sources.


Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)


Individual air source heat pumps (ASHPs) have emerged as an alternative to gas boilers. However, installing ASHPs is not plug-and-play. They require different plumbing infrastructure, which means extra training. They are also logistically cumbersome, with each unit taking up the space of three pallets, increasing transport and storage needs. Installation sites must be carefully chosen, often impacting the external aesthetics of a home, particularly in terrace builds. For high-rise developments, due to noise, installation difficulties and aesthetics, they are simple unsuitable.


Networked solutions


The answer here is to use networked infrastructure. Taking the positives of ASHPs and similar technologies and networking them is a far more efficient way to generate and distribute heat, particularly in high density and high-rise developments. This approach not only provides higher overall efficiencies but also reduces transmission losses, ensuring a more reliable heat supply across the building or development.


Community Heat Hubs


Community Heat Hubs (CHHs) provide an efficient and sustainable solution for high-rise residential and urban developments. By utilising large-scale ASHPs and thermal stores, CHHs centralise the production of hot water and heating for an entire site. CHHs also meet the Future Homes Standard,


reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one. By using thermal stores, CHHs flatten the site’s grid demand. They also reduce the cost for developers and lower customer bills by up to 20%, compared to individual ASHPs. From 2026, all heat networks will be regulated by


OFGEM, offering residents protection on price and service standards, ensuring long term value for high- rise residents. There is also a space-saving benefit in properties due to removing the need for a hot-water cylinder. CHHs are an ideal solution for high-rise


10 June 2025


Networked heat pumps provide the high-density solution


For decades the building industry has relied on gas boilers as a relatively simple and effective way to heat homes. Homeowners have been happy with this solution. Plumbers know and understand every type of gas boiler on the market. The installation cost is reasonable and the bills for homeowners, if not cheap, are at least predictable. However all this is due to change. Neil Fitzsimons, managing director, Power On elaborates


residential buildings, where space constraints and regulatory compliance make efficient, scalable energy solutions essential.


Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps


Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps (NGSHPs) are an innovative solution that is particularly beneficial for high-rise or high-density buildings. NGSHPs extract naturally stored thermal energy


from the ground to provide highly efficient heating, hot water, and cooling to each building. Each heat pump is installed inside the building, connected to a network of underground pipes, eliminating the need for bulky external units. Small in size and cost, the pumps can be transported with 15 units per pallet. The compact nature of these systems makes them particularly suited to high-rise developments, where space for mechanical equipment is often limited and the installation of external ASHPs may not be viable


because of noise pollution. The system uses the same grid electricity


capacity as gas-heated homes, avoiding the risk of grid constraints. This integrated solution also supports Part O Building Regulation compliance due to the passive cooling systems. Energy efficiency of NGSHPs is up to five times that of gas and 30% more efficient compared to individual ASHPs.


All round efficiency


NGSHPs are already providing peace of mind as future-proofed heating, hot water and cooling solutions on developments around the UK and have been in place across Europe for many years. They are tried and test and already installed, with developers and homeowners reaping the rewards. Heating engineers should be looking to these technologies now and providing their clients with future- proofed, scalable, solutions that are both cost and environmentally efficient.


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