By Russell Dean, Head of Residential Heating and Ventilation, Mitsubishi Electric
Last year the UK became the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. Since then, the government has introduced many incentives and support mechanisms to help businesses, people and the public sector reduce and offset emissions, including most recently the Clean Heat Grant which will replace the Renewable Heat Incentive next year.
This investment of £100 million aims to reduce carbon emissions from energy intensive businesses through a wide range of programmes, including revolutionary heat networks and a programme to bring down the cost of retrofitting buildings with the latest energy efficiency technologies such as heat pumps. However, with the UK’s capital found previously to have the highest carbon footprint per person, London has also taken drastic steps to slash emissions – manifesting itself into the Mayor’s pledge to make London carbon-neutral by 2030.
What’s more, according to a new report from the Carbon Trust which was commissioned by the Mayor of London, heat pumps have the potential to deliver CO2 savings of 60-70% compared to conventional electric heating and 55-65% compared to an A-rated gas boiler. So how does this technology work, what benefits can it bring and how might building owners and facilities managers overcome the challenges of transitioning to this energy efficient alternative?
Why We Need To Consider This Technology
Air source heat pumps take heat from the air and give it a boost, achieving a higher temperature using less energy than the heat it produces. It only requires electricity and water connections, is easy to install and are situated outside of the building.
In short, this technology has long been embraced for its ability to offer a renewable heat incentivisation, a reduction in running costs, increased efficiencies, and a pathway to a cleaner, greener future. They are therefore an attractive solution for anyone looking to reduce energy consumption within a building, and are increasingly becoming the first choice for facilities managers planning renovations, because they are designed for retro-fitting, and suitable for almost any space. They are even able to work alongside existing heating systems in a hybrid situation if required.
Alongside these immediate benefits, the Carbon Trust report also found that as the grid decarbonises further in coming decades, the carbon savings delivered by heat pumps are expected to increase further towards 90-100% CO2 emissions reduction by 2050.
What’s Stopping Building Companies From Making The Switch?
Cities in the UK are growing, and urban areas can bring additional challenges for heat pump retrofit in terms of strict limits on noise and finding suitable external and internal space. However, heat pump technology is diverse and versatile, and with appropriate design, installation and operation, heat pumps are technically viable across all London building types.
For example, modern air source heat pumps are capable of noise levels well below those required for Permitted Development in dwellings, for densely populated areas, large heat pumps can be utilised in heat networks expanded to incorporate existing buildings.
Another factor deterring companies from investing in heat pump technology is the familiarity and reliance on traditional gas boilers, and a lack of knowledge around the differences – and benefits – that heat pumps bring.
Heat pumps can be applied to most building types, but are not a like-for-like replacement for gas boilers and electric heating systems, so careful and detailed system design is required to ensure they will work efficiently and effectively. However, if this is undertaken, most buildings can benefit.
One key difference between heat pumps and traditional forms of heating is that they operate most efficiently at lower flow temperatures, and some energy efficient buildings will already accommodate lower temperature heat. For older buildings, there may be a need to upgrade heat emitters, like radiators, and reduce heat loss from the building before a heat pump can be effectively deployed. This means, by focusing holistically on energy performance of the building and best practice design, facilities managers can minimise heat losses as well as optimise supply.
Finally, the primary barrier to heat pump retrofit is often the high up-front costs of the technology. However, many building types have a compelling financial case for heat pump investment when considering the overall lifetime cost. For example, office buildings that currently utilise electric chillers for cooling can benefit from passive cooling via reversible heat pump systems to achieve large fuel bill savings.
These factors together give us insight into why the Carbon Trust report found that there are a low number of heat pump installations in existing buildings in London. In fact, across the UK, only around 20,000 units are being installed on average per year and in London, only 304 domestic Renewable
Heat Incentive (RHI) applications had been made for air source heat pumps from April 2014 to January 2020 – the lowest of any UK region.
What Needs To Be Done So More Of Us Can Benefit?
Firstly, ongoing technological development is crucial to further advance the pace at which facilities managers, installers or building owners can be given the ultimate flexibility they need to invest in and install heat pumps. For example, we are already seeing many examples of innovations across the industry, including products that offer sound levels that are three times quieter than previous models, virtually eliminating the challenges around planning restrictions.
Education is also key to ensure that the benefits of heat pumps are well understood and recognised by builders, planners and contractors alike. As well as energy efficiency, heat pumps can be applied to nearly any application – sometimes requiring only small adjustments – and there are long-term cost savings associated with installing a more efficient form of heating.
Lastly, the higher up-front costs of the technology relative to alternatives such as gas boilers or standard electric systems, needs to be offset by policy, strategies and higher levels of subsidy to make the financial case for heat pumps more compelling.
To conclude, in 2021 I would like to see more decisive regulatory and fiscal frameworks to support the installation of heat pumps and other energy efficient solutions at the scale we need. While it is important to realise that there are many other aspects that contribute to the energy efficiency of buildings, if we are to meet the UK’s ambitions to be net zero by 2050 and London’s target to be carbon neutral by 2030, thought leaders, industry, government and local authorities need to come together to ensure the heat pump supply chain is innovative, efficient and readily supported across the UK.
