Decarbonisation of Heat

The future of Smart and Sustainable Heating and the decarbonisation of heat. Heating in residential, commercial, and industrial settings accounts for nearly half of the UK’s final energy consumption, surpassing the energy used for electricity or transport.

With new-build homes soon banned from using fossil fuel gas boilers, implementing cost-effective solutions for the millions of older, energy-inefficient homes presents a significant challenge and the transition to smart, low-carbon electric heating has become a key priority.
The move toward electrification of heat raises two primary concerns:

1- Delivering a potentially large increase in low-carbon power through renewable generation
2- Delivering demand flexibility, both on a diurnal and seasonal, peak and off-peak tariff level.

Heat Pumps and Electric Heating: A Cornerstone of Efficient Heating

Heat pumps* and Electric Heating are at the forefront of smart electric heating, delivering optimal efficiency *when paired with larger heat emitters such as underfloor heating or oversised radiators. These solutions enhance thermal comfort while operating at lower water temperatures maximising energy efficiency. Heat pumps: how they work, costs and savings (energy saving trust)

Smart Controls: The Key to Flexible, Cost-Effective Heating

Innovative smart heating controls are revolutionizing home heating. With automated zoning, hybrid heat pump integration, and smart tariffs, consumers can optimize their energy use while reducing costs. The rapid growth in smart connected devices adoption underscores the importance of interoperable standards to ensure seamless integration across heating technologies.

Smart Storage Solutions: Unlocking Grid Flexibility

Smart thermal and battery storage devices can play a pivotal role in balancing demand and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. However, further data analysis and modelling are needed to identify the most cost-effective combinations of technology for different household applications. While storage installation is less disruptive than improving home insulation, challenges such as cost and consumer familiarity remain key barriers.

Empowering consumers through smarter heating choices

As the market for smart electric heating expands, homeowners will face more complex decisions regarding heating technologies, tariffs, and supplier offerings. Clear guidance and accessible tools will be essential to help consumers navigate this new landscape and maximize the benefits of low-carbon heating solutions. Embracing the Future of Sustainable Heating by investing in smart technologies, storage solutions, educating the users focusing on understanding their needs, providing clear and accessible information about heat pumps, low-carbon electric heating technology, and offering support for the installation, programming and maintenance process, the UK can accelerate its transition to decarbonized domestic heating while empowering consumers with efficient, cost-effective options for a greener future.

Smart Low-Carbon Heating: Key Recommendations for Efficiency & Sustainability

The transition to smart, low-carbon heating is essential for reducing emissions and creating more energy-efficient homes. Implementing targeted policies and advanced technologies can drive significant improvements in cost savings, energy performance, and carbon reduction. To ensure cost-effective and sustainable heating, policy changes should include:

1. Smart Controls for Clean Heat Grants
   Making smart control systems a requirement for Clean Heat Grants ensures optimized energy usage, better heating efficiency, and seamless integration with renewable energy sources.
2. Interoperability Standards for Smart Heating Appliances
   Standardizing smart appliance and Electric heating controls will make IOT integration easier, ensuring consumers can connect various technologies without facing compatibility issues.
3. VAT Reductions on Electric Heating & Energy Storage Installations
   Reducing VAT on Electric Heating installations, thermal storage systems, and other energy-efficient measures could enhance affordability and encourage widespread adoption of low-carbon heating technologies.
4. Updating Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and SAP
   Modernizing EPC scoring and SAP Appendix Q database, BRE to reflect updated carbon factors for electricity and the benefits of smart tariffs would help homeowners take advantage of cheaper and lower-carbon energy options, making sustainable heating solutions more appealing and affordable.
5. CPD courses and Training enable companies, energy and asset management to control, correctly program, zoning and correct use of your connected smart heating system. How to analyses and optimize information collacted from installations using intelligent “Smart” IOT products and cloud base energy consumptions monitoring. Advice on how to use correctly Heating management system, Advice on how to operate modern smart heating more efficiently to save money.

Solar Thermal: An Affordable Low-Carbon Heat Source

Solar thermal panels provide a cost-effective and simple way to harness renewable energy for Electric heat. These technologies offer an accessible and scalable solution for homes transitioning to clean energy heating. PV Solar thermal systems offer an affordable and low-carbon solution for heating water and space, using the sun’s energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower energy costs. The Role of Flexibility in Electric Heating, smart electric heating has the potential to provide grid flexibility, allowing renewable energy sources like wind and solar to replace the need for nuclear power and carbon capture storage (CCS)—all while generating substantial cost savings. Electric Heating for Solar panels

Direct Electric Heating: Benefits & Challenges

Electric heat can be produced using renewable, while built-in electric heating is unobtrusive and easy to maintain, it is costlier than gas heating due to higher electricity prices. Heat pumps generally offer greater efficiency, but where they are impractical, distributed renewable generation—such as solar PV panels combined with electricity or thermal storage—can help achieve effective decarbonization of electric heating. In cases where a heat-pump would be impractical, effective decarbonisation of heating can be achieved via built-in wi-fi connected electric heating, it tends to be unobtrusive and is simple to operate and maintain.

Strategic Heat Decarbonisation. Conclusion
By prioritizing smart technologies, installers training, storage solutions, and electricity demand flexibility, the UK can accelerate its transition to low-carbon heating, reducing emissions while empowering homeowners with energy efficient and affordable heating solutions.
By Salvatore Cirasuolo