Heating systems options for homes, community groups and businesses
The following information provides practical guidance on alternative low carbon heating options for homes, community spaces, and business premises. Whether you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint or cut down on energy costs, you'll find a range of building fabric and efficiency options to consider.
This covers biomass boilers, air source and ground source heat pumps, combined heat and power (CHP), and solar heating.
The following links provide a good overview of the options:
Low Carbon Heating Options - GreenMatch
A quick guide to low carbon heating - Energy Saving Trust
Boilers
Electric combi boilers
These are compact and efficient compared to traditional gas boilers. They combine water heating and central heating into one unit. They heat water on demand, which is beneficial for both the environment and your energy bills, typically being between 99-100% efficient. For small-medium sized buildings these are a good option.
They are less suitable for larger homes or buildings, and have a higher initial installation cost compared to gas boilers. The major drawback is that they are more expensive to run than a gas boiler, due to the higher price of electricity. Still, they can be good options for those looking to reduce their buildings emissions, as electric heating produces lower emissions than gas heating.
More information can be found here, or in the links above:
Are Electric Combi Boilers Any Good? | The Eco Experts
Electric heating - Energy Saving Trust
Biomass boilers
Biomass fuel is derived from organic materials and is a renewable energy source that can be used for heating. Biomass boilers typically burn logs, wood pellets, or chips, and connect to central heating and hot water systems. They are considered carbon neutral when the fuel is sourced sustainably, because the CO2 released during burning is offset by the carbon absorbed by new trees or plants that have been planted. Burning biomass fuel still releases other pollutants however, such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. These can impact air quality.
Biomass boilers also have the potential to provide cost savings. Wood pellets and chips can be cheaper to buy than the cost of running a traditional gas boiler. If installing in a home, you may be eligible for a grant of up to £5000 through the boiler upgrade scheme, which also helps lower installation costs.
Additional information can be found here, or in the links at the top of this page:
Biomass: benefits, costs and savings - Energy Saving Trust
Air source and ground source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps (ASHP's) and ground source heat pumps (GSHP's) are good options to help lower your home, business, or community building carbon emissions. They absorb heat from the air or ground and transfer it to a fluid, and compress this to increase the temperature. This heat is then used to provide heating and hot water for your building.
Heat pumps are powered by electricity, meaning that they are responsible for lower carbon emissions when compared to gas heating. If you're on a renewable electricity tariff, or have solar panels installed, the emissions reductions will be even greater.
A major drawback to these is that they require a good level of insulation to be worthwhile. Therefore, if your building is not well insulated, it may not be the best option. Another drawback is the higher installation costs compared to gas boilers, however the boiler upgrade scheme can provide up to £7500 off a heat pump if replacing a fossil fuel heating system or electric heating system without a heat pump.
Additional information can be found here, or in the links at the top of this page.
Ground source heat pumps vs air source heat pumps - Energy Saving Trust
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems
CHP systems generate heat and electricity simultaneously. In larger buildings, they typically generate the electricity where it is needed and give the opportunity to use the excess heat produced in this process for heating and hot water. In smaller buildings or homes, micro CHP's can be installed, generating heat as the main output, and electricity as an extra at a ratio of 6:1.
As the heat or electricity generated is captured as opposed to wasted, it can help reduce carbon emissions, sometimes by as much as 30%. They are also easy to set up as they are roughly the same size and require similar maintenance to a standard boiler. An export tariff can be used to allow you to receive payments for any electricity that you don't use.
Additional information can be found here, or in the links at the top of this page:
Your Complete Guide to CHP | Veolia UK
Combined heat and power - GOV.UK
Micro combined heat and power - Energy Saving Trust
Solar water heating
Solar water heating systems use energy from the sun to heat water in a cylinder or thermal energy store. The heated liquid transfers heat to your water supply, providing hot water for baths, showers, and taps. A conventional boiler can be used to make the water hotter or provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable. You'll need to check if your boiler is compatible with a solar water heating system.
The main benefits are that solar water heating systems provide significant carbon savings and cost reductions by reducing the need for a traditional gas boiler to provide all the hot water in a building. During the summer they can provide up to 90% of the hot water requirements of your building.
One drawback is that they unable to provide heating through radiators to heat a building, as they can only heat waterI . They also require a sunny roof or space near the building, and space for a hot water cylinder within your building.
Additional information can be found here, or in the links at the top of this page: