Does the Future Homes Standard Consultation Go Far Enough?

The Future Homes Standard Consultation, released by the MHCLG in October, offered an indication of where we are moving as a nation in terms of house-building, writes David Bowen, Founder & CTO at Logicor.

S o far, I think the UK Government has done a commendable job in laying the strategic foundations for the decarbonisation of heat, particularly the greening of the grid 1 . However, setting a heating strategy which capitalises on this will be trickier, and I believe this has become apparent within the scope of the consultation document.

In my and the Logicor team’s opinion, too much emphasis has been placed on technologies which do not use the strategic advantage the green grid gives us. This includes heat networks, which are likely to be fossil fuelbased (even if more efficient than individual boilers) and hydrogen (still a fossil fuel and cumbersome to deliver).

Equally, too much emphasis has been placed on groundsource and air-source heat pumps. These will never be a mass-market solution.

Ground-source heat pumps require large boreholes so are not an option for those limited on space. Furthermore, both ground-source and air-source heat pumps also need large radiators or underfloor heating together with a well-insulated home to be effective. As such, heat pumps won’t satisfy most homeowners, and they aren’t suitable for flats either given that they lack suitable outside space for the condenser units.

At present, there appears to be a lack of emphasis on driving an innovative approach to direct electric solutions. It’s as if the Government’s imagination and resolve have suddenly vanished when it comes to bending the green grid to the major purpose of decarbonising heat, as highlighted in major research conducted by Policy Connect 2 .

One reason for this reluctance is that our policymakers are hasty to assume direct electric heating is ‘too expensive’ and that it may have a significant, disruptive effect on the national grid. Government needs to be as brave and driven as it was with the grid, looking for ways to surmount or circumvent these two potential, resolvable issues.

Rather than assume legacy electric heating technology is our only option, Government, businesses and industry should seek out new electric technologies, as they are doing with electric cars. For example, for the first time, infrared heating technology has been raised on a national platform. This technology is just one of many with the capability to deliver central heating which is cheap and avoids the morning and evening strain on the grid.

As we know from experience, uptake of new technology tends to be slow, but Government has the influence, opportunity and responsibility to play a larger role in accelerating its adoption. If this were to happen, the UK could find itself in a unique position amongst developed nations, with an end-to-end solution for decarbonised heating.

Turning away from the policymakers and looking to the construction industry itself, electric heating system manufacturers have struggled to establish a voice until recently. For the last couple of decades, the national focus has been firmly placed on gas solutions. Due to cost implications and poor EPC ratings, many in the built environment community have historically been apprehensive about specifying electrical HVAC products.

I think it’s time to start being a little more adventurous. As the framework changes, there is definitely an opportunity for electric solutions.

The good news is that, as the grid goes green and electricity starts to become a more sustainable option, people are taking notice. For our part, we have had some interesting discussions with various contractors wanting to explore the potential of alternative solutions such as infrared.

Infrared is a unique and totally natural type of heat – it works like gentle sunlight but without the ultraviolet. So, when a wall is confronted by an infrared emitter, the room gets warm when it has absorbed as much energy as it can. When you turn the heater off, the wall emits all the heat; like a sponge being squeezed of water, it just falls out. That effect can last up to nine hours. This unique property of infrared allows us to create a system which is highly energy-efficient, which means it reduces your carbon footprint and reduces utility bills.

It also means an infrared system is uniquely able to work with solar and battery. In other words, there is a real prospect that your solar panels and battery can run not just your lighting and appliances, but also largely heat your home. This is a game-changer.

The rise in these new systems, of which infrared is just one, represents an exciting opportunity for the public sector, which is constantly battling issues like high energy costs and fuel poverty. As electricity becomes more affordable, it is our challenge to convince the industry that conduction is better than convection.