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The role of heat networks in Net Zero


Caption in here if needed


Charlie Mowbray, commercial product manager at Ideal Heating, discusses the role of heat networks in boosting efficiency and reducing emissions as the UK strives towards its Net Zero target


O


ver the next few years, the prevalence of low-carbon heating technologies will rise significantly, bringing big changes in how the


UK’s buildings are heated. While the shift to using more sustainable heating


systems has been growing over the years, it is the Government’s more recent focus on responding to the climate emergency and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that is providing the catalyst to accelerate more widespread adoption. In a bid to make the UK greener, in 2019 the


Government made a commitment to reaching Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. With the Government’s announcement of the


Green Heat Network Fund, a capital grant worth £270m open to the public, private and third sector, heat networks will play a key role in cutting carbon and driving the decarbonisation of the nation’s property stock by supporting the development of low and zero carbon (LZC) heat networks.


What is a heat network?


More commonly associated with New York City, and the iconic sight of steam coming up through manhole covers, heat networks have seen a resurgence in the UK as forward-thinking developers look for more energy efficient ways to heat domestic, commercial and public properties. Heat networks, also known as district heating,


can be as large as a whole city or as small as a single block of flats. They deliver heat, in the form of hot water, from a central source to end users through a network of insulated pipes, replacing


Ideal


Heating’s POD HIU


Increasing efficiency


A key element to the success of heat networks is understanding how to make sure operators and end users get the best efficiency from the system. We’ve seen a lot of installs where the units work


well and residents are satisfied but surprised about the level of background heat they have in communal areas of the building, such as hallways – ensuring all the distribution pipework is sufficiently insulated is crucial. By generating heat collectively in the energy centre and having a properly insulated distribution network so heat loss can be minimised, provides the opportunity to realise better efficiency. And the collective generation of energy and


economies of scale involved can make heat networks far more efficient than every end user having their own boiler, meaning the potential lower energy bills for homes and businesses too.


individual gas boilers with a heat interface unit (HIU) or sub-stations for each dwelling or property. Today, there are more than 14,000 heat networks


in the UK, supplying heat and hot water to around half a million homes and businesses. The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy


forecasts that heat networks have the potential to meet around 20% of the demand for heating and hot water in buildings by 2050.


How do heat networks work?


An HIU is the piece of equipment that services the end user’s property by transferring heat from the heat network system into the dwelling’s heating and hot water systems. For example, Ideal’s POD HIU looks very much


Charlie Mowbray, commercial product manager at Ideal Heating


24 November 2021


like a traditional gas boiler from the outside, has similar controls and is normally installed out of the way in a store cupboard or a service hatch compartment. However, instead of burning gas to provide heating and hot water in each individual dwelling, a HIU works by using the thermal energy in the hot water which is piped through the network to heat the end users’ hot water and heating system. For the developer or landlord, POD and a heat network provide a means to meet carbon reduction targets, integrate renewable energy sources and therefore achieve better Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and Simplified Building Energy Modelling (SBEM) ratings.


Going green


Heat networks can play a vital role in the push to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions. Energy agnostic, heat networks are incredibly


versatile, able to use a wide variety of energy sources, often using renewable energy and heat recovered from commercial or industrial processes which would otherwise be wasted. One key advantage of heat networks is they tend to be more readily adaptable in the type of building they can be applied to. Provided the existing network infrastructure is there or there’s the option to install it, generally speaking minimal changes need to be made to the building fabric or the heating systems. Undoubtedly, further policies will be implemented to help the UK go green and heat networks can provide a flexible solution for new build homes, social housing and retrofitting legacy housing stock. As we approach 2025 and the exclusion of gas


boilers in new build properties, heat networks give building owners peace of mind that they can facilitate future heating transformations. While it’s clear that there will not be one ‘silver


bullet’ that will enable the UK to hit its Net Zero target, at Ideal Heating we are committed to helping facilitate the UK’s journey to a greener future. A diverse range of solutions to decarbonise heat must be considered, and we believe heat networks and HIUs will be a vital piece in the puzzle.


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