Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1206576
Beanland: "At the moment, the electrifi cation of heat is the only game in town. So we need policy that allows us to get that going and then bring on other technologies as they become viable" trenches or by extracting heat from a pond, a lake, canal or even the sea. Ground-source heat pumps exploit the fact the natural tem- perature of undisturbed ground in the UK is close to °C at a depth below six metres. The heat pump increases the temperature of the water it receives by compressing re- frigerant gases, then uses a heat exchanger to transfer that heat to the heating circuit in the building. On hydrogen, Beanland emphasises that all low-carbon heat options must be exploited to reach net zero by -€. "We're not looking to shut down the development of the hydrogen sector, we are absolutely convinced we will need all of these tech- nologies to hit net zero. It's not a question of either/or, but both. But at the moment, the electriˆ cation of heat is the only game in town. So, we need policy that allows us to get that going and then bring on other technologies as they become viable." In -- the association plans to "build a signiˆ cant coalition for the decarbonisation of heat through electriˆ cation" and "press Boris Johnson's government for new heat pump-friendly policies and shall be making the case for a replacement for the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI) scheme which is set to close at the end of March --". Beanland adds: "The long-term strategy needs to signal that fossil fuels are on the way out and that alternatives need to be supported. At the moment we have no vis- ibility that the market will be supported, so there is no investment and training." Future regulation & policy The government's Future Homes Standard could indeed be a game-changer for heat pump technology, with the GSHPA hop- ing that the ˆ nal version will retain the heat-pump friendly policies of the dra˜ , currently out for consultation. The Future Homes Standard: -™ consultation on changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations for new dwellings, says that, from --€, new homes will need to achieve ›€œž% lower carbon emis- sions than one built to requirements, to be achieved through mandating low carbon heating. Reaching the --€ standard will involve an intermediate step of ratcheting up Building Regulations from in "mid to late --", to be followed by further rule changes in --€. While the standard only applies to new-build housing, the Committee on Climate Change speciˆ cally said in its -™ report, UK hous- ing: Fit for the future? that demand in the new-build sector could help to stimulate the use of the heat pump technology and its they are e¢ cient at lower temperatures. "It also ought to be supported by the fos- sil fuel industry, as low £ ow temperatures mean that [today's gas-powered] combi boilers actually do condense [and operate more e¢ ciently] – so it should get industry support." Year-round effective technology He also emphasised that heat pumps o§ er summer cooling as well as heating; the February -™ CCC report found that carbon emissions in the residential sector rose in -©œ› and also identiˆ ed overheating in the new homes – which o˜ en leads to homeowners investing in air conditioning – as a growing problem. The report says: "Where active cooling measures are also needed, consideration should be given to potential synergies in the choice and instal- lation approach for heating and cooling systems, for example through the use of air source heat pumps combined with mechan- ical ventilation". Beanland agrees: "The majority of the energy load in the commercial sector is actually for cooling, not heating, and house- builders are now getting more complaints about new homes overheating than being hard to heat. Passive cooling via a heat pump is very e¢ cient. It can all be done – it just needs a policy environment that allows us to do it." The GSHPA's plans for -- also include pressing the government on its plans to replace or redesign the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme, which is set to close to new entrants at the end of March --. The RHI was ˆ rst introduced in -, and has beneˆ tted thousands of property owners. "At the moment there's no visibility of what comes next. All stick and no carrot puts us at a hazardous cli§ edge. Will they modify it? Go with something di§ erent? Will they continue support for low emissions heat? We could do with some visibility from govern- ment on what comes next," says Beanland, who is a member of the Ofgem Domestic RHI Industry Forum, representing installers. An indication of government policy could come in the budget on th March, he said, or the long-awaited Energy White Paper and the government's heat strategy. The GHSPA also said its work in -- would draw on "increasing public interest in preventing climate change, kindled by Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough". "I think it could be a really good year," Beanland concludes. "It's not just the gen- eral public who're engaged, we have [asset manager] BlackRock divesting from coal and taking sustainability seriously. Things are about to change." supply chain on a wider basis, as new build installations cost far less than retro-ˆ ts. The same report also recommended that "new homes should not be connected to the gas grid from --€", an aspiration re£ ected in the Future Homes Standard. The consultation seems to share the GSHPA's attitude to hydrogen as a technol- ogy that is not likely to fulˆ l its decarboni- sation potential in the short term, saying that it "may have a role to play in heating systems of the future" while heat pumps, heat networks and direct electric heating will be the "principal" forms of low carbon heat in homes built to the Future Homes Standard. Discussing the consultation, Beanland says: "There are several elements that could make a di§ erence to the heat pump sector. It mentions a "return to [hot water] storage", which also suits other technolo- gies – you can store excess heat from solar PV for hot water with an immersion heater. It's not so popular with some designers as it means you lose around /m2 in the design of a £ at or house, but if we're serious about decarbonisation, we have to meet these challenges." As well as hot water storage, it suggests mandatory £ ow and return temperatures – with heating systems operating with a £ ow- rate temperature of €€°C or lower – which will play towards the heat pump sector, as DECARBONISATION OF HEAT NETWORK / 34 / FEBRUARY 2020