To achieve Net Zero heating, we must address the challenge of decarbonisation of domestic and commercial heating. The UK has some of the least efficient housing in Europe, with 25 million homes relying on natural gas boilers and 25% of off-grid homes dependant on oil, or lpg boilers for heating.
The Challenge of Decarbonising Heating is a critical piece of the Net-zero target puzzle, but it’s also one of the trickiest. Decarbonising home heating is one of the biggest hurdles the UK faces in reaching Net Zero by 2050. Transitioning to a smart Electric Heating solution is essential to overcome this challenge. Here are several key strategies to help tackle the problems we face today and the pathway to net zero heating in the UK.
Improving energy efficiency in our homes
Thermal retrofitting of the property envelope is a key step towards decarbonising their energy use (These measures will make your home warmer, reduce your carbon emissions by reducing how much energy you use and lower your energy bills). Walls, roofs and floor insulation need to be improved to reduce energy loss in homes. Windows need to be at least double or preferably triple glazed to minimise heat loss. Doors need to be airtight to prevent drafts to allow heating to be efficient. With our Smart Heating Management App, Intelliheat connected Electric Radiators are the way forward as a contribution in reducing energy consumption. By remotely managing and controlling your central heating, you can reduce the stress of programming by controlling your heating via a smart device which is a critical factor in achieving energy efficiency.
Soon all commercial Buildings will need a BMS system to control, manage, and reduce heating costs. IntelliHeat can provide a readymade heating system that can be installed in any building, allowing to manage up to 1000 radiators in 100 different sites. This means that office complexes, shops, hospitals, hotels, HMO, Government offices and multi-site companies can now reduce their energy costs by up to 30% by using the cloud based, fully secure heating management system dashboard that can control every radiator remotely in different buildings through one account; the perfect solution for multi property management, providing detailed energy consumption reporting, analyse to achieve performance optimisation, and generate precise Business’s carbon reductions reports.
Transition to low carbon heating systems
We must, also, encourage the adoption of air source and ground source heat pumps, a more efficient alternative compared to gas, oil boilers. Expanding district heating networks that utilise waste heat from industrial processes or renewable energy sources is another way to lower CO2 emissions. Electric heating has quietly emerged as a game-changer, reshaping how we keep our homes warm, we must encourage people to have Smart Controlled modern electric radiators with a Wi-Fi heating control app that allow to remotely monitor and programme each room or zone reducing energy consumption and keep heating bills low. This shift is crucial as the UK aims to reduce greenhouse emissions to zero by 2050, starting with a ban on gas boilers in new builds from 2025.
What is heat decarbonisation in the UK?
‘Decarbonise’ means to make something CO2 carbon-free, heat decarbonisation refers to methods of heating which don’t emit any carbon or drastically reducing the amount compared to gas. Low-carbon Electric Heating is when smart electric radiators are linked to a renewable electricity supplier, which generates 100% carbon neutral heat. Under the UK’s new 2050 Net Zero carbon emission targets, the Climate Change Committee expects certain parts of the economy – such as air travel, agriculture and cement-making – will continue to emit some carbon. These emissions will need to be captured using Bioenergy and Carbon Capture and Storage technology or be offset through measures such as carbon sequestration by planting trees.
But as far as heating is concerned, the overwhelming majority of buildings and homes in the UK will need low carbon solutions that will enable them to reach near zero carbon by 2050. However, there will be exceptions and some hard-to-treat buildings could continue to be responsible for significant emissions.
Renewable Energy Integration
As electricity demand rises, so does the use of renewables energy, notably solar and wind. An alternative of achieving heat decarbonisation is Solar thermal heating, whereas solar PV panels convert solar energy into electricity. INTELLI HEAT has partnered with renewable energy suppliers and are able to provide Electric Heating systems that can be paired to solar panels to create energy at a minimum cost.
Let’s say you have a solar PV installed, a home battery, and an INTELLI HEAT system, your solar panels generate clean energy from the sun, you home battery stores it, then, when you need to heat your home, you can use the energy stored in the battery to power your heating. Electric Radiators powered by Solar panels will reduce your heating bills during the colder months, whether using solar or wind, some households and commercial properties have the potential to generate enough power for your heating needs for most of the year, essentially providing them with warmth at no cost that’s completely carbon neutral.
iSense Electric Radiators powered by PV Solar panels
Financial incentives and support
Provide financial assistance to homeowners for upgrading to energy efficient heating systems and improving insulation offer favourable mortgage terms for homes that meet high energy efficiency standards or are upgraded to use low carbon heating.
Green heating is a heating technology that doesn’t emit fossil carbon dioxide (C02) or other harmful gases and particles into the air. In line with government targets and directives, installing an IntelliHeat heating systems control energy costs, reduce energy, we, at Intelliheat, have invested heavily in products development that respect the environment and offer energy savings for everyone’s budget, from classic to designer radiators, our ranges of radiators can also be bespoke to meet today’s trends with the demand of contemporary radiators without compromising efficiency.
Regulatory and policy measures
We must ensure we update our buildings with the latest regulations where energy efficiency for new buildings and renovations are now a standard requirements. A timeline must be put into place for phasing out the installation of new fossil fuel heating systems and gradually replace existing heating with a more environmentally friendly solution, implementing a carbon pricing with the addition of and carbon taxes. This makes polluting more expensive and solutions like clean energy and electric vehicles more affordable. Carbon pricing is the most effective way to reduce the carbon pollution that contrubuites to climate changes detroying our eco system.
Public awareness and engagement
We need to run public awareness campaigns to educate homeowners about the benefits of energy efficiency and low carbon electric heating options. Providing training for installer’s a CPD course will enable companies energy and asset management to control, program correctly, room zoning and the use of a WI-FI smart heating system. Learning to analyse and optimise information collected from installations will save money.
Technological innovation and reserch
Investing in research and development of new connected electric radiators, heating technologies and energy storage solutions will improve efficiency and reduce costs. Developing smart home systems to optimise heating usage based on the real time data and user behaviour will minimise energy consumption, IOT ( internet of things) smart heating control home automation, energy consumptions monitoring can be done by room zoning to create maximum comfort at minimum energy.
Addressing Off grid homes heating
We must promote the use of sustainable biofuels as a transitional solution for off grid homes currently reliant on oil boilers. Support the installation of off grid renewable energy systems such as biomass boilers or solar PV, coupled with battery storage. The installation of IntelliHeat radiators will allow the elimination of a boiler. They can be installed and used on their own or connected to a Solar Photovoltaic Panel that will produce electricity via the sun. Our electric radiators are manufactured to high standards with quality materials and are packed with energy efficient ecodesign features and innovative technologies that create an ideal balance between comfort and efficiency while offering a cost effective alternatives to Oil LPG and Solid Fuel. With an average cost of £3000 for a typical large property, our electric central heating systems offer a significant saving when compared to heat pumps. Discover our range of designer electric radiators that combine modern aesthetics with energy efficient technology, perfect for contemporary homes, our stylish electric radiators not only elevate your interior design but also provide optimal heating solutions with maximum efficiency.
What heating options are available off the grid? A Guide to Carbon-Neutral Comfort
As energy prices rise and environmental consciousness grows, homeowners increasingly seek off-grid heating solutions. Whether you’re living off the grid or simply want a more sustainable approach, here are the main options available in UK:
Liquid fuel heating.
Liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
Heat pumps.
Solid fuel heating and biomass.
Wood burning stoves
Solar thermal.
Energy efficient wi-fi electric heating.
Electric night storage heaters.
The upfront costs for biomass boilers can be expensive since they are much larger and require a significant amount of room themselves, as well as the pellet storage. Although heat pumps offer the lowest running costs of almost any other type of heating, the upfront installation costs are the highest, especially for ground source heat pumps. Oil and LPG are not a very environmentally friendly fuels, with the governments Clean Growth Strategy (CGS) is clear that the goal is to completely phase out high carbon fossil fuels over the next decade in off-grid homes.
Promote the use of sustainable biofuels as a transitional solution for off grid homes currently reliant on oil boilers. Support the installation of off grid renewable energy systems such as solar PV a coupled with battery storage and Energy efficient wi-fi electric heating. With IntelliHeat radiators you can use them as electric radiators or connect to a Solar Photovoltaic Panel that will produce electricity via the sun. Gas boilers can be replaced with low carbon IntelliHeats electric radiators. Our electric radiators are manufactured to a superior quality and are packed with energy efficient features, creating an ideal balance between comfort and efficiency while offering cost effective alternatives to Oil LPG and Solid Fuel.
IntelliHeat are the UK’s leading provider of connected smart heating, designer radiators and heating management. We are always available to help or answer any questions, “book a free call back telephone consultation” and we’ll put you in touch with one of our heating advisors.
Sources: https://www.carbontrust.com/ – www.theccc.org.uk/ – https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk – https://www.gov.uk/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive
