home heating
Delivering the future of home heating
Stelrad chief exec calls for government to broaden its focus beyond heat pumps
The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) is urging government to consider the suitability of current UK domestic heating systems to facilitate the transition to net zero
Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK’s policy director, is frustrated at the latest European Heat Pump Association data showing that Britain sells and installs fewer heat pumps per household than almost anywhere in Europe
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Following an initial grant and loan award of over £14 million for the construction of the Meridian Heat Network in 2020, the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) has awarded a further £24 million of funding to Energetik to support two major extensions across the London Borough of Enfield. This brings the total support provided by HNIP to just under £39 million making this scheme the largest to be awarded HNIP funding to date.
One thing we can be certain of is that tomorrow’s heating sector will look different to the one we currently know. The goal of net zero has been set but the path we will follow to achieve these carbon targets is less certain as there are multiple routes available for us to take. Government legislation is being prepared to steer the heating industry into a new era, where traditional fossil fuel systems will need to make way for more sustainable solutions. It is therefore, the responsibility of manufacturers, such as Grant, to support and provide installers with viable low carbon heating products, which can effectively meet their customers’ requirements while also reducing emissions.
The development of lower temperature heating systems, utilising renewable heating appliances such as air source heat pumps, has given rise to a number of questions. One of these is regarding where components we have come to know and love over the years fit into future heating scenarios. In the piece below we hear from Chris Harvey, head of marketing for Stelrad Radiator Group, who explains why the company feels strongly about claims that underfloor heating is the only or ‘best solution’ for heat pump installations.
Warmth may also be taken out of rivers, the sea, and old coalmines using heat pumps whilst heat from industries and incineration could be captured and piped to homes, hospitals, schools and offices.
Mixergy, the smart hot water tank company, has upgraded its entire range of hot water cylinders to allow them to operate with a heat pump at any point during their working life. Once fitted, the multi-use cylinders, which can be used with a gas boiler, mains electricity or solar PV, now give consumers the option to install a heat pump without having to replace the tank.
Glass might be great for looking through but, unfortunately, it’s a very poor insulator. In a typical house, windows account for roughly 10% of the total heat lost and two thirds of this is radiation through the glazing itself.
Further Reading
It looks like the writing is on the wall for natural gas boilers following the prime minister’s announced intention to reduce emissions by 68% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. Such an ambitious target cannot be tackled with heat pumps alone, so how to plug the gap?
Leading boiler manufacturer, Baxi Heating UK and Ireland, part of BDR Thermea Group, has promised to revolutionise the way we heat our homes and buildings. The announcement coincides with the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and places Baxi Heating at the heart of the ‘heating transformation’ that is required to achieve the UK’s climate targets.
NIBE Energy Systems has launched its new S Series of heat pumps which it says improves thermal comfort and saves energy, giving homeowners the opportunity to reduce costs and carbon emissions.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government invited comments on plans to reduce emissions from new homes built after 2025. The frontpage proposal is aimed at replacing gas boiler connections with heat pumps, heat networks and direct electric heating.
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