www.heatingandventilating.net
DOMESTIC HEATING
boilingpoint Heat pump hotspots
N
for heat networks can be generated from a range of sources, some of which are low carbon, such as heat pumps. Last year, the government stated that its ambition is to increase the
proportion of total heat demand provided through heat networks to 20% by 2050, up from less than 3% in 2022. Meaning it will play a key role in pathways to 2050.
Hydrogen
In 2026, the government will decide on whether, and if so, how to use 20% hydrogen in the network to contribute to decarbonisation. If this goes-ahead, the government will require domestic scale gas boilers to be hydrogen-ready, from 2030. We are already working on our 100% hydrogen-ready boiler and field trials
are taking place, such as the H100 in Scotland which is testing 100% hydrogen to confirm the principle of hydrogen being used in domestic and non-domestic situations. However, ongoing uncertainty over the role of hydrogen could slow the progress of decarbonisation.
Harder to decarbonise homes
In September 2023, the government announced that some homes may be exempt from the planned phase-out of new fossil fuel boilers in 2035. This could include homes that are more complex to decarbonise such as those requiring energy efficiency upgrades or electrical connection upgrades, those lacking space for a heat pump, or those located in zones likely to be connected to a heat network.
The government expects that the exemption could cover about a fifth of
homes, including off-gas-grid homes. The government also delayed the ban it had planned on installing fossil fuel heating systems for off-gas-grid homes, from 2026 to 2035.
An alternative option for homes not suitable for a low temperature heat pump off the gas grid, is liquid biofuels, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). HVO is a fossil-free fuel, a sustainably produced, renewable paraffin derived from used cooking oil and vegetable oil processing waste. Converting properties from the use of heating oil to HVO is a simple process and much cheaper than the cost of installing a brand-new, low-carbon heating system. Manufacturers are already diversifying their product range to include HVO, for instance, our LCB700 Blue Flame boiler range is fully HVO-compatible. However, HVO is not currently at its most cost-effective level for people to be able to choose it. Manufacturers such as Navien are doing their part to reach 2050 targets. However, the main issue is supply and demand. Customers are willing to embrace the changes and purchase these low-carbon technologies, but they are either too expensive or the supply levels are not yet where they need to be.
ew research has revealed the regions in the UK with the most heat pumps and it’s bad news for England, as Scotland and Wales fully occupy the top 10.
The boiler installation experts at BOXT analysed public interest in
different types of energy efficiency solutions, the regions installing the most heat pumps, solar panels, and EV chargers, the most popular energy- saving solution in each UK city and the government energy schemes people are most interested in to create a comprehensive energy trends report. One in six households in the Outer Hebrides islands has had an air
source heat pump installed in the last 10 years. The Scottish Government has a Net Zero target of 2045 and aims to fulfil this (partly) by providing a £7,500 grant with the Home Energy Scotland Scheme for homeowners to install air source heat pumps. Data suggests these heat pumps are replacing oil heating systems, which are costly. Air source heat pumps are also seeing a significant uptake in installations in the Scottish Orkney Islands, with almost one in 10 households receiving the energy-efficient upgrade in the last 10 years. Orkney is off the UK gas grid. Therefore, homes on the island mainly used oil- powered heating systems in the past. Since Scotland has a Net Zero target of 2045, many homes have switched to using air-source heat pumps for heating purposes. Argyll and Bute is one of the Scottish local authorities leading the way with air source heat pump installations. Many domestic properties in the area have adopted heat pumps in the last 10 years, as many rural homes on the inhabited islands do not receive a gas supply. Air source heat pumps are much more cost-effective than oil heating systems. Further findings:
The Cold Weather Payment is the most popular government scheme in the UK, with almost 1.17 million searches in 2023. Stirling has installed the most photovoltaic solar panels in the last 10 years, with 14% of households installing panels. London is the region of England with the highest number of public EV chargers per 100,000 people, with 210.5. London also has more electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles than any other UK region. On average, almost one in six (14%) licensed vehicles across all London boroughs are electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids. The local authority area with the highest rise in public EV chargers is Rhondda Cynon Taf, where chargers rose by 317% from just 35 in 2023 to 146 in 2024. Liverpool had the most significant increase in searches for energy efficiency trends in 2023, with a rise of 10% from the previous year, seeing search volumes reach an annual total of 67,900. The most searched-for trend in Liverpool was smart meters, with 13,100 searches.
https://www.boxt.co.uk/news/guides/home-energy-trends- report-2024
DOWNLOAD THE HVR APP NOW
May 2024 29
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
