Tried and Tested Heat Network Technology to Drive New Home Decarbonisation

The UK housing sector is a major contributor to carbon emissions, and the residential sector alone is responsible for around 20%. 

There is no doubt that the UK has made, and continues to make, huge strides towards its net zero goals. For housebuilding and developers this has been shaped by the rise of regulations like the Future Homes Standard and the Home Energy Model.

Heat networks are proven around the world and are ready to help decarbonise the delivery of heat and hot water into UK homes.

Until recently, building regulations set a high temperature for water in properties. This meant steel pipe had to be used, which is expensive. Consequently, heat networks were used in high density sites, typically in towns and cities, as they need less heat network. Building regulations now set a lower temperature for hot water in homes, which allows the use of insulated plastic pipe. This significantly reduces the cost and means heat networks, and their proven technology, are a very competitive option for low density housing sites.

The development of heat networks for low rise, low density new build housing was informed by the decades of experience we have designing, owning and operating heat networks across London, including Wembley and King’s Cross.

Years of R&D means that there is now a commercially viable heat network solution designed for low-rise, low-density schemes being rolled out across the country with several of the UK’s largest housebuilders on multiple new build sites.

Community Heat Hubs use large scale air source heat pumps and thermal stores to produce hot water in the site central Heat Hub.

Community Heat Hubs remove the need for individual air source heat pumps to be mounted outside every home and crucially they:

In a bid to accelerate heat network role out, it is vital that that choice is offered.  Community Heat Hubs are one option. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps, launched in the last year for new build sites, are another option.

Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps work by extracting naturally occurring, stored thermal energy from the ground to provide consistent, energy-efficient heating.

The solution offers a clean alternative to gas through a ground source heat pump installed within each property, which is connected to a shared network of hidden underground pipes.  The small, compact heat pump sits inside the home, saving valuable space and eliminating the need for any external kit.

 Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps:

Both heat network solutions use the benefits of shared infrastructure and can scale to meet the heating demands of entire communities. They also offer a more efficient, centralised approach to energy generation and distribution compared to carbonised methods.

Heat networks benefit from higher efficiencies due to the stable and renewable nature of the energy sources they tap into. This centralised approach reduces transmission losses and ensures a more consistent and reliable heat supply across the network.

The Future Homes Standard contains two notional specifications: heat pumps and heat networks.  Community Heat Hubs and Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps combine both solutions and will play a pivotal role in the construction of low-carbon, energy-efficient new build residential homes.

In a world where decarbonisation is no longer optional, heat networks provide a pathway to greener, more resilient housing stock. They align with both regulatory imperatives and market demand for sustainable, low-carbon solutions, making them a central pillar in the transition to a net-zero future. What’s more Community Heat Hubs and Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps can deliver against these goals right now, at scale and at pace.