5 minute read
HVAC
DISTRICT HEATING NETWORKS: THE HEAT IS ON FOR SOCIAL HOUSING PROVIDERS
As more and more people are facing fuel poverty this winter with the escalating fuel crisis, John Fahy, Managing Director at Uponor, explains why district heating networks offer social housing providers a viable way to decarbonise their housing stock and help to reduce energy bills for residents.
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District heating networks have seen a resurgence of interest lately in the UK. This is mainly due to industry innovations that are helping to lower carbon emissions and deliver heat in a more efficient and costly manner.
Reducing fuel bills and emissions
The Government believes that district heating networks can reduce fuel bills by 30% and has made it clear that it also wants to see a wider uptake of these networks to reduce CO2 emissions and meet the UK’s 2050 net-zero targets. Currently, only about 2% of the UK’s heat is delivered by heat networks, but the Government believes that this could increase to 20% by 20501 .
Although district heating networks have been used in the UK since the 1960s, we are still far behind the rest of Europe, where heat networks meet about 12% of the EU’s heat demand. District heating is most common in the Nordic and Baltic regions, where cold winters are the norm, but the main markets are currently in Germany, followed by Poland and Sweden2. Copenhagen has the world’s most extensive district heating system, servicing over an incredible 98% of buildings, making it miles ahead of any city in the UK.
Harnessing renewable technology and sustainable solutions
District heating is a system where energy is generated from a central source for heating and domestic hot water to be distributed through an underground network of insulated pipes to several properties. These can be homes in a social housing development, multi-occupancy buildings or a combination of both.
Homes can be connected to a reliable and efficient heat source, even if they are not on the gas network, which removes a reliance on fossil fuels. This means they can be coupled with renewable technologies, such as wind, solar and hydro, to provide a cleaner, more sustainable energy system.
As technologies advance, the industry is constantly finding new ways to provide energy for these networks. Waste heat can be harnessed from thermal power stations and industrial sites. Even heat from the London Underground is being used to provide heat and hot water for homes and businesses in Islington.
Inside the home, district heating networks also provide an excellent opportunity to make the most of the increasing popularity of sustainable solutions, such as radiant heating systems, radiant panels and underfloor heating, which provide greater thermal comfort.
These systems are particularly well suited to heat networks as they operate at low temperatures and offer a more energyefficient and cost-effective way to heat and cool a property. Using high-performance insulated pipes with a high degree of flexibility will also reduce the number of required connections, which minimises the possibility of leaks occurring and further improves the system’s efficiency.
Sources: 1Heat networks and power prices: https://researchbriefings. files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9528/CBP-9528.pdf
2Euroheat & Power DHC market outlook: https://www. euroheat.org/policy/dhc-market-outlook.html
The growth of district heating networks has driven the need for updated guidance and regulation of the sector to enable networks to deliver their full potential. To meet this need, the Government has proposed ‘heat network zoning’ where buildings in a specified zone will be given a timeframe to connect to a heat network and has appointed Ofgem as the new regulator for heat networks.
In January 2021, CIBSE released its second edition of the Heat Networks: Code of Practice for the UK (CIP1) to improve the design quality, installation and operation of low-carbon heat networks in the UK.
The updated CPI (2020) includes enhanced minimum standards and further detail on insulation standards for primary pipework. It also recommends reduced temperature flow for new schemes, which is pushing designers, specifiers and installers towards fourth- and fifth-generation heat networks, both of which are well suited to flexible, pre-insulated polymer pipework.
Positive results for social housing schemes
The concept of district heat networks is not new for social housing. There have already been several successful projects in the UK. Uponor recently supplied its energy-efficient piping solutions to Finn Geotherm as part of a landmark renewable heating scheme in Felixstowe for Flagship Homes. This successful scheme has significantly cut heating bills and carbon emissions for more than 100 houses, flats and bungalows. By installing six large-scale district heating schemes using Uponor piping, residents now benefit from cheaper heating bills that have decreased by 70%, and with energy use being reduced by the same (70%), the scheme has considerably impacted the community’s carbon emissions.
To further prove the positive impacts of heat networks, Government research has found that district heating networks can cut carbon emissions from new housing developments by up to 70% and create energy bill savings of at least 30% when replacing electric heaters with heating networks in tower blocks, according to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This means that heat networks are not only a good solution for the environment, but that the cost of delivering heat to residents can be as little as 7p/kWh compared to an equivalent figure of 10p/kWh for electric heating.
These are substantial results. When you consider the current energy crisis and the need to address climate change, district heating networks are proving their value and showing that they can positively impact carbon emissions whilst also providing a more affordable and energyefficient living environment.
District heating networks enable social housing providers to decarbonise their housing stock whilst providing residents with more affordable housing. When residents are connected to a district heating network, they have the advantage of economies of scale and the efficient operation of the network to heat their homes at a lower cost than if they were using individual heating systems.
As systems continue to improve, more and more housing associations and social housing providers will realise the benefits of district housing networks for both themselves and their residents. By connecting social housing to a heating network, you can provide residents with the benefits of lower costs, thermal comfort and improved indoor air quality, all whilst helping to create more sustainable communities for the long term. www.uponor.com/en-gb
