From David Bowen, CTO and Founder, Logicor
It’s staggering to observe how far the UK energy market has evolved over the last ten years. Back in 2009 76% of energy to the national grid came from fossil fuels, jump forward to 2019 and we’ve seen a reduction of 29%, with only 2.5% coming from coal-fired power stations. In fact, we are currently projected to be zero carbon by 2025. No mean feat and it’s an accomplishment which the UK should be extremely proud of. I wish the same could be said of the UK central heating market, which has not moved forward at quite the same speed.
At most we can say that gas boilers have steadily grown more efficient coupled with a shorter lifespan, a boiler you would have purchased back in 2009 would have had a life expectancy of ten years. A boiler will now pack-up after a mere five years.
Equally there have been some advancements in storage heating control mechanisms. For example, a storage heater fifteen years ago was effectively just a set of bricks with some elements in it. Now these systems come with a more accurate timer and control mechanism, which turns it on and off intuitively.
Lukewarm
However, generally speaking, if you were to ask what has happened in the UK energy market from WW2 until now, I’d say the only heating systems we’ve produced are ones which heat the air. It’s because we are fundamentally creatures of habit, it’s what we’ve always done. While there has been an abundance of cheap fossil and a lack of commitment to sustainable practice, it was unlikely that things were going to change. Things are different now. It’s time to take renewable energy and its associated products more seriously. If we don’t, the consequences are dire. I think housebuilders have an important role to play in this. Through revaluating how homes are heated, there exists an opportunity for developers to build to low emission, quality housing at a better price.
Alternating currents
Given the focus on gas which has existed over the last couple of decades, there was no point in electric heating systems manufacturers approaching housebuilders any time before this year. They simply wouldn’t have countenanced these, due to the cost implications and poor EPC ratings.
There have been experiments with ground source heat pumps, but we’ve found from our conversations that many developers have had a difficult experience with them, partly because they are neither cost effective nor easy to install. Furthermore, some of the customer feedback, as we understand it, hasn’t been great. Housebuilders are on the hunt for efficient heating systems which can be specified, applied and connected quickly.
The good news is that, as the grid goes green and electricity starts to become a more sustainable option, people are taking notice. For our part, we have had some quite interesting discussions with housebuilders wanting to explore the potential of alternative solutions such as infrared; they can see the writing on the wall for gas.
Working smarter
Ultimately, it’s all part of creating smarter, active homes. As outlined by The Active Building Centre, building are accountable for 40% of global carbon emissions. In the UK alone they consume about 40% of all energy produced. Housing is a massive contributor, particularly through heating.
To put it into perspective, a home uses 60% of its energy to heat the space within. A further 18%, or thereabouts, heats water and the rest is used through appliances. Of course, it would be relatively easy to make a fridge or a freezer more efficient, but only give you a very small percentage reduction across the home. The challenge doesn’t lie here.
Fundamentally, we have to get to a stage where a home is capable of creating and re-using its own renewable energy. If we’re already at (or close to) that point, homes should be built or adapted to solely rely on renewable energy. In this scenario, no-one would care how efficient anything in the home is as long as it’s using its own energy.
There’s a drive towards the ‘connected’ home as an interim solution, but this is merely a temporary fix. We seriously need to consider how we supply central heating given its current emissions output. At Logicor, we’re looking to address this issue.
I think that the housebuilding community has the rare opportunity to lead the way and champion a greener residential environment through more sustainable heating solutions.