Engineering news
A new strategy needs urgent implementation if Britain is to cut carbon emissions from its stock of 26 million homes, an engineering advisor to the government has said.
The new approach, outlined in a report written by Jeff Douglas, strategy manager for the Energy Technologies Institute's (ETI’s) Smart Systems and Heat team, would see the widespread installation of local area heat networks, and home owners encouraged to use electricity for heating, rather than gas.
The report, entitled Decarbonising Heat for UK Homes suggests that eliminating carbon emissions from UK homes would be far more cost effective than making deeper cuts in other sectors such as transport.
But to deliver low-carbon housing stock, a system level framework to package known, but under developed, technologies into integrated solutions was required, said Douglas. This then needed to be translated into local energy strategies, because solutions would vary depending o location.
Douglas said: “Around 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from domestic heating and eliminating CO2 from buildings is more cost effective than deeper cuts in other sectors. This effectively means finding long term alternatives to natural gas heating systems.
“We have identified two pathways towards decarbonising domestic space and water heating. In more densely populated areas the solutions are likely to involve shared heat networks, while the focus in areas with lower density housing will be on individual properties using electrically powered heat pumps or direct resistance heating.
“In both scenarios there is a balance to be struck between the investment in demand reduction or efficiency measures and the cost of low carbon heat generation.”
The next decade would be critical in preparing for the transition and building confidence, said the report. A policy framework was required that supports the combination of individual and collective decisions and investments. Rapid implementation would then be required from 2025.
The ultimate aim is to make Britain's 26 million homes low-carbon by 2025. “That may seem a long way off but there will be a need to install low carbon heating systems in 20,000 homes a week over a 25 year period from 2025 to meet 2050 targets – that’s the equivalent of 10 Milton Keynes’ each year,” he added. “Our research indicates that consumers are generally happy with their existing heating arrangements and not presently engaged enough to change. But it also showed they want better control of their time, effort and money, and cost is not necessarily the most important element of consumer satisfaction."
Key headlines from the report include:
* The near total elimination of carbon emissions from existing homes is required by 2050
* There are two key solutions for most low carbon home heating – local area schemes delivering low carbon heat through heat networks, along with individual home systems using electricity for heating, each with different challenges
* Compelling consumer propositions and business models are needed. Social benefits will also be important and affordability needs to be a key element of transition planning
* A system level framework is required to package known but underdeveloped technologies into integrated solutions
* System designs and local spatial plans are needed for the efficient development of energy assets and to support end-user engagement
* Integrating the delivery of an energy system transition strategy into local planning processes, with local ownership, will be key to the delivery of near zero emissions
* Low carbon heating systems will introduce the need for new heat production and network assets, along with significant electricity network reinforcement, whilst the use of local gas distribution networks will be reduced
* The next decade will be critical in preparing for the transition and building confidence. A policy framework is required that supports the combination of individual and collective decisions and investments. Rapid implementation is then required from 2025.