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Network April / May 2020

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NETWORK / 14 / APRIL/MAY 2020 DECARBONISING HEAT Electric storage heating – a Cinderella solution Maxine Frerk, director, Grid Edge Policy, explores the potential of electric storage heating as a solution to the decarbonisation of domestic heat and asks why it is being overlooked W ith the country in Covid-19 lockdown it is hard to think about, or write about, much else. It risks appear - ing to make light of the current situation. But, personally, I find comfort in the hope that we can take something positive from the current extraor - dinary situation, to emerge in a better and more sustainable world. And for those of us not directly involved on the front line, it is important to stay focussed on how we ad - dress what is an even bigger global threat, albeit if less immediate, climate change. In that spirit, I've just finished a report on electric storage heating and the potential role it could play in the decarbonisation of heat. What is striking is how the issues raised reflect a microcosm of the wider chal- lenges that the energy sector has to address. The first is how to decarbonise heat. The answer is far from clear, but there are two main pathways being debated.These are repurposing the gas grid to carry hydrogen Older storage heaters contributes to fuel poverty, which can be tackled with improved energy efficiency and more modern heaters

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