DISTRICT HEATING
TURNING UP THE TEMPERATURE ON DISTRICT HEATING NETWORKS
Zisis Nikoloudis, Segment Manager – Commercial, at Uponor
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istrict heating networks have been steadily growing in popularity over recent years, thanks in part to their ability to significantly improve a building’s energy efficiency levels1. Despite this, still only around 3% of the UK’s heat demand is supplied by such networks - a figure which the Committee on Climate Change has said needs to rise to at least 18% if the UK is to meet its carbon targets. To encourage the industry to make significant inroads in ensuring this sustainable way of heating is utilised to its full potential, the government has been putting in place incentives and policies including the Heat Network Investment Project and 1 Super-insulate or use renewable technology? Life cycle cost, energy and global warming potential analysis of nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) in a temperate oceanic climate. Energy and Buildings 139 (2017) 590–607
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the Renewable Heat Incentive, which aim to encourage the use of more environmentally friendly heating solutions, such as district heating networks and renewable energy sources. Even with these incentives and policies in place, revolutionising how those in the industry, not to mention homeowners, think about heating is not going to be an easy task, and we’re still a long way off where we need to be.
HELPING TO REACH OUR GOAL Making sure we’re using the most up-to-date, sustainable systems available is an important part of getting to where we need to be, and district heating networks are a very viable solution which deserve more attention. In practice, district heating networks typically consist of
ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
