For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk INSULATION SETBACK


Greenpeace protest highlights cost of failure to insulate


The UK government’s failure to insulate the nation’s homes has cost tens of thousands of lives according to a new report from Greenpeace. The report finds that, on average, 58 people have died due to cold homes every day during the winter, ever since former prime minister David Cameron’s government slashed support for home insulation as part of his pledge to “cut the green crap” in 2013. Separate analysis by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit has also found that this policy increased energy bills by nearly £2.5bn. Greenpeace activists erected hundreds of headstones made from insulation boards outside Parliament, to mark the release of the report and to warn of the cost of failing to tackle cold homes. The ‘green crap’ pledge


accompanied the abandonment in


England of the entire Warm Front programme, dedicated to help eliminate fuel poverty. Similar energy saving programmes aimed at low income households have continued to grow in all three devolved nations. Cameron’s decision, which slashed subsidies for loft and wall insulation, resulted in a cliff edge for government- funded energy efficiency installations. These fell in just one year by almost 90%, from 2.3 million in 2012 to just over 300,000 in 2013. Over the past ten years, despite


cold homes continuing to result in this loss of life, subsequent governments have failed to reinstate funding. Instead, government-backed energy efficiency installations have continued to fall, with just 160,000 installed in 2022. Greenpeace is calling on the


government to invest at least £6 billion of public funds annually over 10 years to deliver a national home retrofit programme and introduce regulations to significantly improve the energy efficiency of the private rented-sector and social housing. The Labour Party had previously pledged to invest the £6 billion a year that Greenpeace is calling for, but recently scaled back its spending plans for insulating homes by over 70%. Greenpeace is demanding that the Labour Party reinstates its previous spending commitments in its upcoming election manifesto.


New study looks at the electrification of heat


A recent article on the Cell Press website provides valuable insight into the impact of achieving 100% electrification of domestic heat in the UK. Decarbonising heat in particular is often perceived as a daunting task, since natural gas serves nearly 80% of the domestic heat sector, but a new study concludes it need not be anything like as daunting as conventionally assumed. While there has been steady


progress in decarbonising the power sector, mostly through deploying


renewable energy and replacing coal with gas generation, decarbonising the heat sector remains an unsolved conundrum on the energy agenda. Concerns over electrification often


centre on expected pressures on the power grid, and the perceived need for a tripling in generation capacity. Acknowledging there is no ‘silver


bullet’ to decarbonise heat, the new study reveals that electrification of heat in conjunction with smart operation of thermal energy storage (TES) is possible, without needing


unreasonably rapid growth in overall electricity system capacity. The authors present a spatially


explicit optimisation model that investigates the implications of electrifying domestic heat on the operation of the power sector. They conclude that regional, hourly data reveals a lack of synchronicity in domestic peak heat demand. Consequently, the authors predict that the future domestic peak heat demand can be almost 50% lower than widely assumed.


Guide to improving the energy efficiency of


community halls Guidance aimed at improving the energy efficiency of England’s 10,000+ rural community halls has been published by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE). The guidance is the focal point of the charity’s ‘Village Halls Week’ campaign, which is being supported by a number of high-profile heating and construction industry brands including Baxi and Knauf Insulation. “Getting to net zero means no building being left behind,” says


EIBI | APRIL 2024


Vanessa Rae, regional sustainability director for Knauf Insulation. “We’re proud to support this campaign, which should help secure a sustainable future for these vital community hubs – reducing running costs as well as their carbon footprint.” Baxi is investing in improved training


facilities that will help level up access to qualified heat pump installers for rural communities. By growing


the UK’s army of renewable heating technicians, Baxi hopes to play its part in decarbonising heat in buildings of all types around the UK. “Government grants and support


are among the best in Europe, and spring is a great time to plan and carry out a heating refurbishment ahead of the heating season,” says Corey Gooding, strategic account manager at Baxi. “By collaborating with charities like ACRE and with companies like Knauf Insulation, we can ensure that Village Halls arrive at the most appropriate energy efficient solution that matches their individual needs.” Village & Community Halls: A Net


Zero Design Guide is available for free on: https://acre.org.uk/village-halls-net- zero-guide.


New Appointments


● Liam Elmore has been appointed as general manager of the low carbon heating


and hot water equipment manufacturer LOCHINVAR. He joined the Banbury-based company as UK sales manager in 2014 following a two-decade career working with other well-known manufacturers of heating and hot water related products. Liam served as sales director for the business prior to his promotion to general manager.


● Wendy Hayward, MD of AIRCARE COMPRESSOR SERVICES LTD, is the new


vice president of the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS). With over 30 years experience in the compressed air industry, Wendy aims to address the challenges faced by many organisations.


● QVANTUM, the Swedish manufacturer of heat pumps and energy systems, has


appointed Philip Ord as CEO of its UK operations. With extensive commercial experience in the heating and cooling industry, Phil will be looking to guide Qvantum in becoming a reliable energy partner for new developments and retrofitting projects.


● WILO, manufacturer of pumps and pump systems for building services and


water management, has enhanced its UK business development team with the appointment of Dan Williams. Former assistant manager at a national plumbers merchant and a plumbing and heating engineer by trade, Dan will be covering the Midlands, Wales and Southwest regions.


NEWS UPDATE


At the centre of the UK’s green industrial revolution


The launch of Greenpower Park – the UK Centre of Electrification and Clean Energy – in Coventry is said to set the stage for unparalleled investment in green electrified technology and skilled job creation. The ambitious project, designed to foster world- leading collaborations between industry, major academic institutions and stakeholders to drive the UK’s ambitions in leading the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, is the only site in the UK with approved plans for a large-scale battery production facility with capacity for up to 60GWh, enough to power 600,000 electric vehicles and benefiting significant incentives associated with investment zone status.


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