HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONING
TRATEGY FOR NET ZERO – AND TAL TO ACHIEVING IT
THE FUTURE OF DECARBONISED HEAT IN THE UK To help achieve these ambitious targets, heat pumps and heat networks are vital technologies. As local authorities, designers and installers become more involved in applying low-carbon heating, it is also important to bear in mind that there are practical considerations when selecting these systems, which can vary depending on the application. For domestic installations, for example, it is vital
that a home is suitable for a low-temperature heat pump system. Homes constructed from 2024 must be designed for low-temperature heating systems at 55˚C. Fabric efficiency levels are also higher than under previous regulations. When retrofitting heat pumps into existing homes, it’s crucial to consider insulation levels and ensure that these are adequate before replacing an existing gas or oil boiler. Heat networks are also considered an essential
£1.8 billion” to support heat and energy efficiency projects across Scotland to help boost the energy efficiency sector. The Welsh government has set progressively
higher targets for greenhouse gas emissions cuts since 2016, however the challenge for Wales is that it has some of the UK’s oldest and least thermally efficient housing stock. Around 30% of houses were built before 1919, and just 10% of homes in Wales have been built since 2020. One of the main focuses is therefore promoting affordable energy-efficient heating and offering financial support to local authorities and registered social landlords across Wales. In Northern Ireland, targets have gone beyond
the earlier recommendation of an 82% reduction to aiming for Net Zero emissions by 2050 – and it therefore faces a significant challenge in achieving its objective in a shorter time than its other UK counterparts. In contrast to England, few homes in Northern
Ireland are connected to a gas grid, and around 68% are reliant on oil for heating and hot water. In addition, 72% of the population uses open fires with coal or peat as secondary heat sources. Their goal is that by 2028, all heating appliances being installed should be zero carbon in properties off the gas grid and by 2033 for those in the gas grid.
www.essmag.co.uk ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Autumn 2023 21
technology for the future of heat in UK buildings. In the past, heat networks, which supply heat from a central source to multiple buildings, used large gas boilers or combined heat and power equipment as the primary heat source. However, this is changing as modern system designers look to use more renewable and recovered sources of heat energy, which can include local water sources such as rivers and lakes or heat pumps. One modern approach to using low-carbon heat sources is the ambient heat loop. With this method, network temperatures are low, between 10˚C and 30˚C. An ambient energy loop in place of an energy centre pushes energy into the network. Water is pumped around the loop and used as a heat source or a heat sink by heat pumps in each building or apartment on the network. The important consideration for designers is that the ambient loop approach must focus on balancing the system temperature. Where heat is taken from the loop, it must also be added elsewhere. While this creates its own design challenges, the benefit is
The challenge for Wales is that it has some of the UK’s oldest and least thermally efficient housing stock
that the loop can use heat rejected elsewhere.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The future of heat in buildings across the UK looks very different from current approaches, and there is undoubtedly a significant challenge ahead in moving the UK away from its reliance on fossil fuels to low-carbon technologies. There is also the added challenge of addressing different needs and landscapes across areas of the UK – and varying plans in place.
“New and existing developments in heating technologies offer an
exciting opportunity to decarbonise heating across the UK. New ways of thinking can be a challenge, but they are needed in order to move in the right direction to a low-carbon future”
To help achieve Net Zero across the whole UK,
installers will need to be trained to work with and maintain both domestic and commercial heat pumps. Designers will also have to re-think their approaches to heating and hot water in buildings, and heat network development will require a multi-building approach. New and existing developments in heating
technologies offer an exciting opportunity to decarbonise heating across the UK. New ways of thinking can be a challenge, but they are needed in order to move in the right direction to a low-carbon future.
Mitsubishi Electric
https://gb.mitsubishielectric.com/en/
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