DEBUNKING HEATING MYTHS THE FUTURE OF HEAT?
Jeff House, Head of External Affairs at Baxi Heating: The potential for a switchover from natural gas to hydrogen has gained considerable traction and seems likely to play a role in the decarbonisation of heat.
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ast your minds back to the Climate Change Act of 2008 and you’ll be reminded of the UK’s legal commitment to reduce its 1990 carbon levels by at least 80 percent by 2050. This major reduction in carbon levels requires significant ‘outside-the-box’ thinking and the possible deployment of a number of major- scale, yet pragmatic solutions. In the UK, over a third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a result of the production of heat. Countering this challenge will require a fundamental shift in our reliance on natural gas.
Future fuel
Hydrogen has the potential to be a mass market solution to the carbon crisis, and with projects such as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy-funded ‘Hydrogen for Heat’ (Hy4Heat) programme and the ‘H21 North of England’ venture, it’s clear to see why. The viability of hydrogen continues to take centre stage in the debate concerning the decarbonisation of heat in the UK, and near-zero carbon gas could provide a valuable alternative or complementary option for our housing stock.
The potential conversion to hydrogen will not occur overnight. As such, it will not be of immediate concern to merchants, but it would be unwise to ignore the coming change, whether it is powered by hydrogen or not. It is highly unlikely that pure hydrogen boilers will be commercially viable for some time. This is because trials and feasibility tests must be undertaken. In the short term it is more likely that the UK gas grid will see the incremental introduction of a blend of hydrogen of up to 20 percent though it is worth noting that this will take place in strategic areas. As part of the ‘Future Gas Series: Part 3 – Consumer and Appliance Inquiry’, led by Carbon Connect, Baxi Heating is working to assist in the investigation into how such a changeover might work and discern consumer attitudes towards hydrogen as a heat source. With all of this talk around the future of gas, it can be easy to forget that around four million homes in the UK are not connected to
understandable level of fear associated with stepping into unknown territory. In reality, fear is not necessary as an LPG boiler is based on the same technology as a mains gas boiler and it is cost-effective as well. For those living off-grid, it offers the closest alternative to mains gas. LPG may not be the answer to every off-grid home, but it does provide a viable solution for those looking for an effective and alternative fuel with the flexibility of mains gas.
Heating up the industry It is often said that heat pumps can offer a viable route to decarbonising the heat in our homes. However, bodies such as the UK LPG trade association estimate that between 40% and 70% of existing rural off-grid properties are not suited to a standalone heat pump installation without significant refurbishment work. Given that electricity is currently three times the price of gas, an electrically-powered heat pump would prove to be a costly venture for many homeowners.
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Hydrogen has the potential to be a mass market solution to the carbon crisis...
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the mains gas grid. There is currently no one- size-fits-all solution to the decarbonisation of off-grid homes. Consequently, there is a need to consider a multitude of options including Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG).
BioLPG, chemically indistinct to LPG, can be used in existing supply chains, without the need to modify current infrastructure. It is made from renewable crops and waste feedstocks, and offers a truly viable renewable energy solution for off-grid premises. Interestingly, when discussing off-grid premises with merchants, there can be a an
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2019
In new build properties, heat pumps may well offer a valuable alternative. Indeed, these properties would be better suited to low carbon appliance installations at the time of construction, coupled with local hot water or energy storage, rather than having to retrofit them in years to come. This would make the heat pump a worthy contender for decarbonising heat in homes.
What does this all mean? The only certainty we have in these uncertain times is that nothing is certain. There are no concrete answers. The truth is that the heating industry is undergoing a significant period of change – change that we must all stay one-step ahead of, if we are not to be left behind.
Heat pumps, LPG and hydrogen all offer viable alternatives to the decarbonisation of heat in homes. How we adopt these technologies is not yet certain, but we must all take a practical view of the challenge ahead and work together to create, adopt and commercialise solutions that benefit the end user. BMJ
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