Making the most of the low carbon heating transition

The challenge of reducing the carbon footprint of the country’s building stock is one of the biggest issues facing the UK at the moment, writes Oliver Baker, CEO at Ambion Heating.

The government laid out its ambition in its ‘Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’ at the end of 2020, and this was swiftly followed by the Energy White Paper just before Christmas, which outlined a core objective to increase energy efficiency among as many existing homes as possible so they can be classed as EPC Band C by 2035.

January 2021 then saw the confirmation that Future Homes Standard will require all new build homes to be ‘zero carbon ready’ by 2025, requiring the phase out of fossil fuel based heating systems in favour of low carbon alternatives.

While the future of heating is now undoubtedly low carbon, this transition will be a major undertaking – not only in terms of the sheer numbers of fossil-fuel based systems to replace, but also to win the hearts and minds of the public. The relatively slow uptake of the Green Homes Grant highlights the danger of a scheme that is the right idea, but at the wrong time.

That said, with clear deadlines in place to increase the efficiency and reduce the emissions of the UK’s building stock, the move to low carbon heating is inevitable. And for electrical contractors in particular, this could be a real opportunity.

Currently, electric systems are seen as more expensive than gas, largely due to the higher unit cost of electricity. Therefore, it is a big ask to get consumers to move away from gas to electric systems, and the government needs to do more to bridge that gap.

However, Ambion Heating firmly believes that the biggest solution to the decarbonisation problem is going to be electric heating systems. And, while the headlines have been on air source heat pumps (ASHPs), in reality, it will take a broad range of technologies to meet the government’s ambitious targets.

One of these is computer-controlled infrared (CCIR) heating, which has several benefits for installers and their customers.

Cost effective

One of the key benefits of CCIR is that it is both low carbon and tackles the issue of cost when it comes to electricity versus gas. CCIR uses infrared which is a high performance way of delivering heat using less electricity than conventional electric heating. What makes CCIR different is that it also uses software with each panel which constantly monitors each individual room and the energy storage characteristics within it, adjusting its energy delivery routine to maintain the ambient temperature within the room, maximising its performance and using fewer units of energy than a traditional heating system.

The resulting savings are compelling. Ambion commissioned an independent performance review of CCIR to assess how it compares with both traditional convection systems and ASHPs. It revealed that CCIR provides the same levels of comfort within a room, using 60% less energy than a standard electric convection system and 3% less than ASHPs.

The system also reduces the unit cost of electricity because it works best across 24 hours. This flat demand profile – there is no morning or evening energy spike in usage – also means that if a homeowner is on a flexi tariff, CCIR can achieve around a 25% saving in the unit cost of your energy. So, if you put those two things together – the 60% reduction in electricity usage with the 25% saving on unit cost – the running cost is very comparable with gas.

“Unlike other low carbon solutions, CCIR can be installed in any building that has electricity”

All new build homes are required to be ‘zero carbon ready’ by 2025

Saves time and money

CCIR systems are also easier to install, whether they’re being retrofitted into an existing building or installed within a new build, because they simply need wiring into the mains rather than plumbing in. Therefore, a contractor can install the system and move onto the next job in minimal time.

Another benefit is reducing the administrative burden of processing warranty claims. For example, unlike AHSPs, CCIR has no moving parts and requires no annual maintenance, so makes an ideal choice for end user customers who want to ensure that they have minimum after sales issues and warranty claims.

Suitable for any installation

Unlike other low carbon solutions, CCIR can be installed in any building that has electricity. While it is particularly suitable for off-gas grid properties, given the UK’s targets for switching from fossil fuel heating to low carbon alternatives, housebuilders, landlords, commercial and public sector buildings could all benefit from the high performance and emissions reductions CCIR provides.

In conclusion, 2021 is set to be a big year for policy and strategies to tackle heat decarbonisation, so the future of heating has to be low carbon. And, Ambion believes electric systems will play a transformational role. Therefore, for electrical contractors, demonstrating an expertise in installing the latest low carbon electric heating systems like CCIR could be a key differentiator when it comes to winning contracts.