HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONING
WHY ONE HEATING SOLUTION WON’T BE ENOUGH TO DECARBONISE THE UK’S HOUSING STOCK
Oliver Baker Oliver Baker, CEO of Ambion Heating, explores why,
when it comes to decarbonising the UK’s homes, heat pumps won’t provide a one-size-fits all solution
analysis by the Telegraph newspaper revealed that households living in the wealthiest parts of England are four times more likely to have a heat pump installed. However, moving to a low-carbon heating
I
n the government's ‘Powering Up Britain’ announcement, the Secretary of State for
the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Grant Shapps, unveiled plans to scale up affordable, clean energy, to reduce energy bills long-term and relieve Britain’s reliance on fossil fuels. One of the measures announced included a £30m Heat Pump Investment Accelerator to boost manufacturing and supply of heat pumps in the UK alongside the extension of The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which offers a £5,000 grant to anyone buying a heat pump, to 2028. While new government initiatives and grants
system doesn’t have to be costly. For example, low-carbon heat panels can easily be retrofitted into an existing building, wiring into the mains rather than plumbing in, and making them an affordable alternative to heat pumps. The system uses a unique control system which
uses constant dynamic pulsing – rather than a ‘zoning’ on/off approach used by other systems – to dramatically reduce energy usage and maintain a room’s temperature within 0.1˚C of its target, 24 hours a day. The results of using dynamic pulsing plus the
infrared panels are significant – users can expect to use 63% less electricity when compared to conventional systems – which also equates to a 63% reduction in carbon emissions.
“While new government initiatives and grants supporting low-carbon heating schemes are welcome, the focus on heat pumps as the primary technology to decarbonise UK homes, omitting a range of alternatives available that provide environmental benefits, is shortsighted”
supporting low-carbon heating schemes are welcome, the focus on heat pumps as the primary technology to decarbonise UK homes, omitting a range of alternatives available that provide environmental benefits, is shortsighted. One of these is low-carbon infrared heating
panels, which offer a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuel heating systems and heat pumps, with little disruption from installation as there is no bulky external system or pipes. This is especially beneficial for properties where space is limited, and in situations where fuel poverty is a real concern.
ELECTRIC HEATING The fact remains that heat pumps are expensive to install even with government assistance. MCS data shows the average upfront installation cost for an air source heat pump is £7,800, even with the discount under the The Boiler Upgrade Scheme. With those high upfront costs in mind, it might not come as a surprise that recent
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THE SMALLER PROPERTY CHALLENGE The Telegraph analysis also showed that people living in rural areas are five times more likely than their urban counterparts to have one, which leads to another issue which doesn’t get a huge amount of attention when it comes to decarbonising the
Analysis shows that low-carbon heat panels can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% in flats when compared with conventional heating systems
UK’s varied housing stock: space. There are millions of properties, including
accommodation blocks, terraces and smaller houses, where installing a large low-carbon heating system isn’t an option. Requiring pipework, radiators and external condenser units, heat pumps require space that is often not available in properties of this size and they can also be costly to service and maintain. In addition convection systems, including
heat pumps, don’t help combat the mould and damp that some properties are prone to. In fact, the warm air they produce, when coming into contact with cold walls, can cause further mould and condensation and harm residents’ wellbeing. With traditional systems failing to ensure
the whole home is adequately and efficiently heated, and options like heat pumps considered unsuitable or impractical for smaller spaces, developers, contractors and installers are looking for alternative heating solutions, such as infrared heating panels. Analysis shows that low-carbon heat panels
can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% in flats when compared with conventional heating systems, and are fully future-proofed to partner with solar and battery solutions. Running costs are also slashed by 80% in these properties when compared to traditional heating systems, safeguarding residents from fuel poverty.
A FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION FOR DECARBONISING HOMES While the Powering Up Britain announcement could have recommended a broader approach to low-carbon heating systems, there are Net Zero house trials happening that are testing innovative technologies beyond heat pumps to inform the UK Government in their mission to achieve Net Zero by 2050. As an example, Ambion is working with
Bellway Homes to test our low-carbon heat panels as part of the University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0 facility – an ongoing research project testing and validating housing design, home heating and approaches to using a variety of energy technologies. With studies such as these taking place, I hope
to see a more varied range of solutions qualifying for government grants in the future.
Ambion
https://ambionheating.com
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Summer 2023 33
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