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The Topic: Heat UTILITY WEEK | 17TH - 23RD APRIL 2015 | 11 What uptake do you an- ticipate for Flow's micro-CHP boiler? We anticipate a steady growth during this year, balancing sales with our growing capability to install the product and provide service accessing the UK. From the second half of next year our growth is set to accelerate as we release a combi version. How great a national reduc- tion in heat demand would this uptake achieve? The implementation of Flow's micro-CHP could contribute con- siderably to the reduction in gas consumption otherwise used in centralised power stations. As gas is consumed in domestic boilers for heating, the marginal additional amount of gas required to generate electricity is just one third of the amount required to supply the equivalent electrical en- ergy from a marginal coal-fired power station. The installation of 500,000 micro-CHP boilers (approximately 2.5 per cent of UK domestic boilers) would be enough to remove one average gas-fired power station at peak from the grid, producing ap- proximately 650GWh a year. What role do you expect Flow's technology to play in domestic heat provision rela- tive to electrified heat, district heat networks and other emerging forms of low-carbon heat provision? During the past two years the use of electric heating has been considerably reduced. While new-build homes have far lower heating demands compared with the bulk of the UK's hous- ing stock, most of the existing stock is unsuitable for all-elec- tric heating. Hybrid heat pump/gas boil- ers are expected to become more popular in addition to the gas micro-CHP such as Flow. A sig- nificant growth in heat pumps would result in excessive strain on power networks during the winter heating season. The introduction of wide- spread micro-CHP could offset this increased demand, espe- cially during winter peaks. Do you think heat has received sufficient policy attention under the current government? Whilst the last government has continued with the previous government's renewable finan- cial incentives such as feed-in tariffs and renewable heat incentives, focus on energy ef- ficiency through the Green Deal has not been a success. How would you like to see heat approached in policy? The Sustainable Energy As- sociation's manifesto outlines changes, proposing to focus on energy in buildings, prioritising the deployment of low-carbon and demand reduction energy solutions. An approach that puts buildings at the heart of things, making them more en- ergy efficient, producing locally generating low-carbon or renew- able power can go a long way to addressing the three energy goals of affordability, energy security and sustainable low carbon energy for the UK. Flow Q&A Launched in 1998, Flow Energy has won acclaim as a company that will shape the way we use heat in our homes. Utility Week talks to Geoff Barker, Flow's business development director. "The replace- ment of 2.5 per cent of UK domestic boilers with micro-CHP would be enough to remove one average gas power station at peak from the grid" The government will pay out £25 million into its Central Heating Fund to be tapped by local authorities in tackling fuel poverty. The government said the fund was expected to help up to 8,000 fuel poor homes not connected to the UK gas grid by installing first-time central heat- ing systems. District heating customer protection scheme launched The district heating industry has thrown its weight behind a scheme designed to protect heat customers in the UK from later this year. Heat Trust is voluntary and aimed at suppliers that sell heat energy directly to custom- ers in domestic and micro-busi- ness properties. It is expected to provide protection to more than 20,000 customers in its first year. Eon's heat network pilot wins funding Eon UK's plans for the UK's first community-wide low-carbon heat network has received government funding to sup- port a demonstration project. The project will be based at the company's energy centre in Exeter and will demonstrate how solar panels and heat pumps can work alongside the existing district heating scheme in Cran- brook "to provide a lower cost and significantly lower carbon heating and hot water source". ADE calls for new district heating plan The Association for Decentral- ised Energy (ADE) has appealed to the next government to establish a new district heating policy to unlock an investment potential that ADE chief execu- tive Tim Rotheray estimated at £1.6 billion. NEWS IN BRIEF Government pays £25m to heating fund Gas burns in the combustion chamber and evaporates a liquid in the micro-CHP power module How Flow's Micro-CHP boiler works The resulting vapour moves through a scroll expander, causing it to spin and generate electricity, which can be used in the home or exported Electricity out Hot water out Heating system return The vapour condenses in a heat exchanger and heats the water for the heating system Natural gas or LPG in