11 minute read
Heating & Ventilation
The Rinnai Hydrogen Information Hub will be aimed at building services consultants, engineers, specifiers and end-users. It will be online and include webinars plus all requested digital or onsite meetings.
“Rinnai welcomes the UK government’s recent ‘Ten Point Plan’, in particular the drive to decarbonisation through the use of Hydrogen. Heating emissions are a huge issue and Hydrogen is one answer to the Energy Trilemma, as we have stated several times,” says Rinnai’s Chris Goggin who is also a board member of the ICOM Energy Association.
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Hydrogen in the domestic setting is seeing up to £500 million government funding on trials for homes using hydrogen, starting with a Hydrogen Neighbourhood in 2023, moving to a Hydrogen Village by 2025, with an aim for a Hydrogen Town – equivalent to tens of thousands of homes – before the end of the decade. Of this funding, £240 million will be for hydrogen production facilities.
Rinnai has made data and information contributions and had close consultations with the lead research agency primed with advising the UK Government.
The UK, along with many other countries, faces an Energy Trilemma - the pressing need for de-carbonisation, which means a shift in energy pathways; security and longevity of supply; long term affordability to the industrial and end-consumer.
This country’s housing stock is over 24 million units and the UK had a total energy consumption increase by 1.1 per cent in 2018 to reach 143 million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe), the highest level since 2013.
Says Chris Goggin for Rinnai, “All questions and queries on the growing consensus on the suitability of Hydrogen as the replacement for all fossil-fuels will be answered by the Hub. Zero Carbon cannot be achieved via Zero Information on the strategies needed to achieve the goal”.
“Hydrogen can make a major contribution to decarbonising the UK energy grid, whilst also providing a sustainable answer to the political and societal questions of the Energy Trilemma,” says Chris Goggin.
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The distribution of Hydrogen creates a resolution to the Trilemma questions and the very necessary decarbonisation of the UK energy grid. Hydrogen can be potentially combusted through existing ‘in situ’ appliances, complete with smart controls and cost-effective hardware & software upgrades as demonstrated by proprietary technology in hot water heating units. Many countries in Europe and Asia are using the postpandemic economic regeneration plans to instigate plans to switch to hydrogen as the main fuel source for housing, industry and transport. France has recently announced a €7 billion package to build a carbon-free hydrogen industry and Germany has allocated €9 billion.
In the summer the European Commission stated it wanted to increase its production capacity of electrolysers from 250MW today to 40GW in 2030. Similar strategies have been released by the UK, Australia, and Asian countries. These moves are clear trends to massive public investments in the sector.
Hydrogen is already ‘cost competitive’ in niche applications, according to recent research, with the forecast that it is likely to at least price-match industrial-scale alternatives in less than a decade.
Rinnai is a true global player in the manufacture of domestic and commercial appliances and operates in almost 50 countries. Rinnai is the world’s leading manufacturer of continuous flow hot water systems - it makes and sells 2 million units each year. The range of units can be manifolded to supply, limitless hot water to any site of any size. This means fast, efficient, temperature-controlled water on demand at the point of delivery – kitchens, showers, accommodation blocks, bathrooms, washrooms - and less space spent on plant rooms with no or little maintenance as all units are proven to be robust with a long, long working life.
In a surprise announcement this week, the UK government has announced an extension to the Green Homes Grant. The grant will now run until March 2022, this bridges the gap to the Clean Heat Grant and aligns with the end of the RHI timeframes.
The move was welcomed by Panasonic as Tony Lathey, UK Pre Sales Manager for Heat Pumps at Panasonic said: “We are delighted that the government is showing commitment to the green agenda, offering homeowners very real incentives to switch to renewable energy technologies. We are fully behind the new green 10-point plans for the Prime Minister’s ‘Green Industrial Revolution’. We have seen strong interest in our air source heat pumps for heating and hot water provision but extending the grant programme will ensure that more homeowners can access funding for their home energy improvement schemes and we anticipate this will greatly assist the market.”
The extension to the Green Homes Grant to March 2022 is most welcome and will bridge the gap to the Clean Heat Grant and aligns with the end of the RHI timeframes. The extension is in addition to a range of measures being taken. As well as helping to reduce carbon emissions, this will help safeguard and create many new jobs and career opportunities in the sector to further boost the economy and at the same time help achieve the net zero targets for a more sustainable future. Throughout this time, Panasonic is running a Cashback promotion to incentivise both installers and homeowners by offering cashback of up to £600* to homeowners and £800* to installers on their Aquarea heat pumps installations (*terms and conditions apply).
To help accelerate the plan, the government also announced that the potential ban on gas boilers in new homes has been brought forward to 2023[1], two years earlier than originally planned. Furthermore, the new 10-point Green Plan aims to deploy 600,000 energy efficient heat pumps to be installed in UK homes by 2028. Further investment has been pledged to encourage energy efficiency and cost savings for hospitals and schools by 2030 and stepped up thereafter to help meet the net zero targets of 2050 and further job creation.
Speaking on 17 November, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Although this year has taken a very different path to the one we expected, I haven’t lost sight of our ambitious plans to level up across the country. My Ten Point Plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050.”
Green Homes Grant
The Green Homes Grant came into effect in September 2020 and was due to end on 31 March 2021. It has come under much scrutiny from those within the industry, as it soon became evident that there is a need for more qualified accredited installers to carry out heat pump installations for UK homeowners. This is despite
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manufacturers, such as Panasonic, stepping up and increasing available training. This additional financial support will enable more homeowners to take advantage of the scheme to March 2022.
The Green Homes Grant scheme allows UK residents to be able to claim two-thirds of the cost of energy efficient home improvements up to a maximum value of £5,000 in the form of a voucher (with those on a low income who are owner occupiers and in receipt of income-based or disability benefits, getting 100% subsidy up to a maximum government contribution of £10,000)[2]. This grant includes the installation of domestic air source heat pumps as well as other energy-saving technologies.
Homeowners are able to apply for the Green Homes vouchers for installations from September 2020 with the work carried out via installers being a ‘TrustMark’[3] Registered Business and having MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme)[4] Accreditation covering the technology being installed, which will give households more confidence in their home improvement investments.
Looking to the future, as the road to recovery begins, manufacturers, such as Panasonic, are stepping up to the challenge to meet the net zero emission targets by 2050. For example, Panasonic is increasing its offering of sustainable energy solutions as well as increasing online training availability for installers by offering specific and accredited training courses to help installers become more efficient and knowledgeable in correctly installing air-towater heat pumps.
Panasonic’s Aquarea range of air-to-water heat pumps is among the widest on the market, with systems available to suit all sizes of property and capacity requirements.
For more information on Panasonic Air Source heat pumps or current training, please visit
www.aircon.panasonic.co.uk.
The kitchen is a focal point of any house and an outdated one can often be a deal-breaker for buyers. Remodelling the kitchen will generally be a smart investment, but if you are just upgrading to sell, there’s no need to go for top-ofthe-range. Any new kitchen will still look impressive and give that “wow” factor your buyers are looking for.. In fact, even smaller changes — such as just changing the worktops and cupboards — can also bring a healthy boost to the house’s financial worth.
All the time that people have spent at home this year has changed what people look for in a home. One feature that is much more in demand post-Covid is natural light. While glass bifold doors and skylights were already popular in homes pre-pandemic, now more than ever, installing means of natural light in the home can add value. It makes rooms feel brighter and more spacious, which is a definite win.
Convert the loft into workspace - potential added value: Up to 15% (£36,750)
Another effect of the pandemic on house hunting requirements is that more buyers are now looking for home workspaces. For many, working from home is here to stay — and a lot of buyers would like to have the option of a dedicated office space. It may be that you have a spare bedroom but a loft conversion can easily double as a home office. Even taking advantage of an unused nook or cranny by adding a desk can help show your home’s potential.
Update the bathroom or add an en-suite - potential added value: Up to 5% (£12,250)
Bathrooms can be make or break when selling a house, so ensure that yours are up to scratch. Remodelling will make your house more attractive to buyers, but is not essential if your bathroom is already in a good state. Installing an en-suite however, is a great way to add value to the home, as demand for the built-in bathrooms is evergreen. However, there are some renovations that are actually more trouble than they’re worth. Converting a garage - potential loss: £7,500
While converting the garage into a living area might be a tempting way to increase space in the home, doing so purely to boost property value is misguided. Many people value the garage as storage space for rarely used items or bulky appliances, such as a second fridge. And, of course, a lot of people, especially households with multiple cars, need the garage for its traditional purpose of parking. It’s probably best to let buyers make up their own mind about what to do with this space.
Upgrading the utilities - potential loss: £15,000
Whether it’s installing new plumbing, upgrading the boiler or updating the electrical wiring, keeping on top of utility improvements is important for any home. However, these renovations are considered house maintenance, rather than a value-adding upgrade.
Of course, making sure your home systems are in good condition is essential to getting a good price. But they don’t have to be state of the art — if they are already in fine nick, upgrading your utilities just to say that you have isn’t likely to add much value.
Quickly dated décor - potential loss: £5,000
While installing current interior trends in your home can definitely make it look stylish, it probably won’t end up making you much more money when you sell.
Rose gold furnishings and quirky tiles might be trendy, but they might not be to the taste of all buyers — so investing in them to make your home more attractive can misfire. Additionally, even if the trends are to the buyers’ tastes, interior fashions don’t last long. People who are planning to live in your home long-term will be thinking of the future.
Instead of investing in trendy interior updates when redecorating to sell, keep it minimal. This is helpful for buyers as it allows them to more easily imagine what they would like to do with the place, and it saves you money too.
Jonathan Magill adds: “Of course, every seller wants to get the best price for their home, so investing in certain renovations is essential to boosting your asking price. But before you rush in to make changes, make sure you take the time to consider what the effect will be on your house value and if the update is worth it for you financially.”
For more tips on which costly renovations don’t yield profit and are best avoided, visit: https://strike.co.uk/latest-news/invest-smarter
