Decarbonising UK Heating ‘A Challenge’

The UK needs to start using more low-carbon heating options if it is to hit its carbon reduction targets, the Energy Saving Trust has stated.

It highlighted a report by the Energy Research Partnership, which stated that alternative ways of heating our homes, such as hydrogen, biogas or a heating network, need to be explored to help us move away from our reliance on gas and oil.

The biggest challenge, according to the report, will be the transition, as much of the infrastructure that currently supplies heat to our buildings will need to change, from the appliances we have in our homes and businesses to the pipe work that brings the fuel in.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the first thing we should all be doing is improving the energy efficiency of our homes as this could go some way towards reducing our carbon emissions.

However, both organisations noted that substantial public and private investment will be required to try out new heating solutions. Hybrid heat pumps, substitute natural gas and heat storage were all cited as possible alternatives to our current heating fuels.

One of the recommendations from the Energy Research Partnership is to establish a government-supported programme to “demonstrate and trial key technologies”. Another is to enforce “high efficiency standards for new buildings”, which could include using one of these technologies from the outset.

Any businesses interested in the use of heat pumps should contact us to find out more about commercial heat pump installation to see how it could be utilised on their premises and benefit them in the long term, not only in terms of environmental efficiency, but also through saving money on heating costs.