HEAT DECARBONISATION
THERE’S NO ONE-SIZEFITS-ALL SOLUTION TO DE-CARBONISING DOMESTIC HEATING Daniel Burton, Wondrwall
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e-carbonising heating is high on the agenda for many social landlords and housing developers. As well as playing a vital role in tackling climate change, increasing the energy-efficiency of housing is essential to reduce the ever-increasing fuel bills for residents. According to the Committee on Climate Change’s 2019 report on UK housing, “the quality, design and use of homes across the UK must be improved now to address the challenges of climate change. Doing so will also improve health, wellbeing and comfort, including
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for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those living with chronic illnesses.” Government funding initiatives, such as the SHDF (Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund) and the Green Homes Grant tend to favour a ‘fabricfirst approach’. The established view is that the best way to decarbonise domestic heating is to invest heavily in insulation, and then install a low carbon heating system, such as an air-source heat pump. Whilst this approach can work in many situations, it will not always be the most costeffective way to achieve the end goal. In some cases, it is not even practical or possible to retrofit homes in this way. Housing developers and social housing landlords must therefore urgently
ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
consider alternative approaches.
A CHANGE OF MINDSET For many years, gas has been the go-to solution for domestic heating and hot water. However, as part of its commitment to decarbonising energy, the UK government has declared that from 2025, no new homes should be connected to the gas grid. While some hold out hopes that clean hydrogen gas may be available by then, it is not currently an option. Housing developers must now look for the most efficient way to heat homes using electricity as a source of energy. With gas being so much part of the current mindset, it’s hardly surprising that air source heat pumps – which rely
