COMMENT
HOT PROPERTIES
Tackling the climate crisis is
being viewed from the broader
perspective on how we adopt
more sustainable ways of living.
A considerable part of this is the
debate on how to implement
low-carbon heating technologies that result
in e icient changes to the way we heat our
buildings.
In a bid to cut carbon emissions and drive the
decarbonisation of the nation’s property stock, in
September this year, the government announced
the Green Heat Network Fund(i), a capital grant
worth £270 million that is open to the public, private
and third sector. This is part of the government’s
wider commitment to reaching net zero greenhouse
gas emissions by 2050.
Heat networks are set to play a major role in
how the government plans to tackle the climate
crisis and support the development of low and
zero carbon (LZC) buildings across the UK. The
government’s Clean Growth Strategy(ii) forecasted
that heat networks have the potential to meet
around 20 per cent of the demand for heating and
hot water in buildings by 2050.
As facilities managers, whether you have a
portfolio of stock that you are looking to upgrade,
or are simply just keen to get ahead of the curve
and learn more, now is a key time to build your
knowledge of heat networks.
WHAT IS A HEAT NETWORK?
More commonly associated with New York City
and the iconic sight of steam coming up through
12 NOVEMBER 2021
seen a resurgence in the UK as
forward-thinking developers look
for more energy eŽ icient ways
to heat domestic, commercial
and public properties.
Heat networks, also known
as district heating, can be
as large as a whole city or as
small as a single block of flats,
a hospital, an oŽ ice building or
even a school.
From a central source, heat is
supplied to end users through a network
of insulated pipes in the form of hot water, with
individual gas boilers replaced by Heat Interface
Units (HIU) or sub-stations. Today, there are more
than 14,000 heat networks in the UK, supplying heat
and hot water to around half a million homes and
businesses.
HIUs service a property by transferring heat from
the heat network system into the building’s heating
and hot water systems. For example, our POD HIU
looks very much like a traditional gas boiler from
the outside, has similar controls and is normally
installed out of the way in a store cupboard or a
service hatch compartment.
However, instead of burning gas to provide heating
and hot water in each individual dwelling or space,
a HIU works by using the thermal energy in the hot
water which is piped through the network to heat
smaller hot water and heating systems.
For the facilities managers, POD and a heat
network provide a means to meet carbon reduction
targets, integrate renewable energy sources and
therefore achieve better Standard Assessment
Procedure (SAP) and Simplified Building Energy
Modelling (SBEM) ratings.
INCREASING EFFICIENCY
For a facilities manager working in a building that
has a heat network or is looking to install one, a
key element to its success is understanding how to
achieve the best level of eŽ iciency from the system.
Ensuring all the distribution pipework is suŽ iciently
insulated is crucial. By generating heat collectively in
the energy centre, and having a properly insulated
distribution network so heat loss can be minimised,
better eŽ iciency can be realised.
The collective generation of energy and economies
of scale involved can make heat networks far more
eŽ icient than every end user or building space
having their own individual boiler, while also
increasing the potential for lower energy bills.
GOING GREEN
Heat networks can play a vital role in the push to
achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Energy
agnostic, heat networks are incredibly versatile,
able to use a wide variety of energy sources, o™ en
using renewable energy and heat recovered from
commercial or industrial processes which
would otherwise be wasted.
One key advantage of heat
networks is that they tend to
be more readily adaptable
in the type of building they
can be applied to. Provided
the existing network
infrastructure is there or
there’s the option to install
it, generally speaking minimal
changes need to be made to the
building fabric or the dwelling’s
heating systems.
Heat networks give building owners
and managers peace of mind that they can facilitate
future heating transformations.
Undoubtedly, further policies will be implemented
to help the UK go green which facilities mangers
will have to adapt to, but for now heat networks will
provide a flexible solution for new buildings and
retrofitting legacy stock.
It’s clear that there will not be one ‘silver bullet’
that will enable the UK to hit its net zero target
and decarbonise heat in property stock. A diverse
range of solutions to decarbonise heat must be
considered, but we believe heat networks and HIUs
will be a vital piece in the puzzle.
Charlie Mowbray, Commercial Product Manager at Ideal Heating, discusses
why heat networks are the greener way of heating properties
manhole covers, heat networks have
Heat networks, also
known as district heating,
can be as large as a whole city
or as small as a single block of
Ɲ ats, a hospital, an offi ce
building or even
a school.”
REFERENCE NOTES
(i) www.gov.uk/government/consultations/green-heatnetwork
fund-proposals-for-the-scheme-design
(ii) www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-growthstrategy
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