DISTRICT HEATING/HEAT NETWORKS
HEAT NETWORKS:
LEADING THE CHARGE FOR LOW CARBON NEW BUILD HOMES
Heat networks, including Community Heat Hubs and Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps, are poised to
play a pivotal role in the construction of low-carbon, energy-efficient, new build residential homes. John Marsh, GTC COO, comments
I
n the evolving landscape of residential new build development, achieving carbon neutrality and sustainability has become paramount thanks to the UK’s ambitious target of getting to Net Zero by 2050 and regulations like the Future Homes Standard. The UK housing sector is a major contributor to carbon emissions, and the residential sector alone is responsible for around 20% But, one of the most promising solutions for decarbonising the delivery of heat and hot water into UK homes are heat networks.
HEAT NETWORK SOLUTIONS Heat networks have long been utilised across the globe. In the UK, they have predominantly been installed across high-rise, high-density, schemes.
John Marsh
In the last year, however, a heat network solution designed for low-rise, low-density schemes, has been developed. Using the tried and tested technology, this is now being rolled out across the country with several of the UK’s largest housebuilders on new build sites. Community Heat Hubs use large scale air source heat pumps and thermal stores to produce hot water in the site central Heat Hub. Heat and hot water are delivered into homes through a site network of insulated pipes. Community Heat Hubs remove the need for
individual air source heat pumps to be mounted outside every home and, crucially, they: • Meet Future Homes Standard, reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one. • Address grid capacity issues, using the thermal
stores to flatten the site’s grid demand. This significantly lowers a site’s overall peak demand compared with individual heat pumps.
• Lower cost for house builders and lower customer bills by up 20%, compared to individual air source heat pumps.
• Will be regulated by OFGEM from 2026, offering homeowners the ultimate protection on price and service levels.
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE In a bid to accelerate heat network role out, it is vital that housebuilders are offered choice. Community Heat Hubs are one option. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps, also launched this year for new build sites, are another. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps work by
extracting naturally occurring, stored thermal energy, from the ground to provide consistent, energy-efficient heating. This solution offers a clean alternative to gas through the use of a ground source heat pump installed within each property, which is connected to a shared network of hidden underground pipes. The small, compact, heat pump sits underneath a water cylinder inside the home, saving valuable space and eliminating the need for any external kit. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps can:
• Bring a complete end-to-end heating, hot water and cooling solution. This inclusion of passive cooling helps Part O Building Regulation compliance.
• Meet Future Homes Standard, reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one.
• Offer up to five times the efficiency of gas and a 30% increased efficiency than an equivalent individual air source heat pump.
THE BENEFITS Both heat network solutions rely on shared infrastructure and can scale to meet the heating demands of entire communities. They also offer a more efficient, centralised approach to energy generation and distribution compared
16 ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Summer 2025
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