COMMERCIAL HEATING
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A first look at the HNTAS T
Pete Mills, commercial technical operations manager at Bosch Commercial & Industrial, discusses the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) and how the new regulation came to fruition
he first tranche of documents has been released covering the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) - part of a suite
of regulations under the Heat Network Market Framework first introduced as part of the Energy Act 2023. These first 12 released documents cover HNTAS Technical Assurance and Assessment Procedures. HNTAS is seen as a key part of getting heat networks right from the start, to ensure they give good outcomes for consumers by reducing energy bills and lowering carbon emissions. Its vision is to be outcomes orientated, preventative, proportional and above all deliverable. No tall order for a brand- new Regulation that covers such a complex and large infrastructure.
The journey so far
The first documents are focussed on New Build heat networks, which will form the central pathway that ultimately all new heat networks will need to comply with. The basis of these requirements has been taken from the long established CIBSE CP1 Heat Networks: Code of Practice for the UK, which was first introduced in 2015 with a major update in 2020. This means that although the industry has been calling for visibility of the documents that were originally intended for release this spring, much of the foundation should not be completely unfamiliar.
Left: Pete Mills, commercial technical operations manager at Bosch Commercial & Industrial
clearer guidance and detail for how these networks will enter the HNTAS pathways. Some at early-stage design may be entered into the new build pathways whilst others, where construction is already well underway, would be better entered into the existing pathway.
A chance for change There has though been an inevitable feedback
loop from HNTAS to CP1 that has meant that another huge task of updating CP1 had to be faced. This new Technical Standard will be known as TS1 and is expected for release sometime before the end of 2025. For the 14,000 or so existing heat networks, DESNZ have already signalled to the industry that these will follow a modified route involving milestones towards compliance, depending how they would have sat within the outgoing Heat Networks Metering and Billing Regulations 2014. DESNZ have presented this at many stakeholder groups already to gain initial feedback from the industry. There will also be a class of Pre-Operational heat networks that are currently either at the design or construction phase and the industry is waiting for
HNTAS, along with other Regulations covering heat networks represents a great period of change for the industry and naturally there has been nervousness about how this will affect the flow of projects and the wider Government targets to have 18% coverage of heat networks by 2050. What we mustn’t lose sight of is the importance of good outcomes for consumers and certainly the status quo was not viable. Consumers cannot be expected to continue to suffer unregulated energy prices and poor service outcomes if the industry is to have a long-term sustainable future. HNTAS has been designed by the Technical Authors Fairheat, to prevent bad design decisions and poor construction early enough that a heat network is not handicapped from the start, thus ensuring the technical function of the network is no longer contributing to poor consumer outcomes.
Time to get involved
Contributing to the HNTAS documents has seen some 190 individuals across 111 organisations get involved to help shape the future of heat network technical outcomes. As one of those individuals, I can tell you that it has been one of the most rigorous processes to be a part of, with many workshops and meetings attended, and great commitment from many people who have been present from the start. It may not have left everyone completely happy; in the end compromises must be reached, but there has been lots of opportunity to help shape the requirements and those involved have not been afraid to push back when needed. I would urge anyone connected with heat networks, new or existing, to start taking onboard what HNTAS is all about and how it will improve heat networks going forward, by looking at these documents. The challenge now for DESNZ is to release as soon as practical, remaining initial documents that will make up the full landscape of Regulations and Standards which will shape this important part of the heating industry for years to come.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ heat-networks-regulation-technical-standards/ heat-network-technical-assurance-scheme-hntas
10 November 2025
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