Decarbonising home heating: how does the future look?
Decarbonising home heating: how does the future look?
From achieving net-zero through to decarbonising home heating, the role of specifiers is becoming crucial to the success of modern plumbing. Here, Lee Halstead, Technical Sales Engineer of RWC, explains how building for the future starts today.
The decarbonisation of home heating is a journey that is already well underway across the UK. In recent years, we’ve seen new legislation framing national ambitions to reduce emissions generated by homes and, alongside that, manufacturers have facilitated increasing demand for renewables and greater efficiency.
The recent publication of the Warm Homes Plan by the government has ignited renewed ambition to make home heating more affordable while gradually introducing cleaner energy through renewables.
New build homes provide the perfect opportunity to introduce the technology that achieves this balance. Comfort, warmth, and affordability for occupants, balanced with efficiency and low-carbon technology, shape the future of home heating. As the industry grapples with the ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes, the introduction of low-carbon heating can have a significant impact.
The need to decarbonise
How we heat our homes has been the subject of debate for some time, and it’s no surprise when you consider that, collectively, home heating accounts for around one-fifth of the UK’s total emissions. But it’s not only emissions that matter. Increasing energy costs have meant the impact of home heating has touched almost everybody.
Rethinking home heating is the key to tackling the issues of rising costs and emissions simultaneously. For specifiers, this places plumbing and heating design at the centre of the decarbonisation agenda for new-build homes.
The Future Homes Standard, which is anticipated to be introduced in 2028, targets huge reductions in carbon emissions for homes. For new build homes, the requirements are especially tight, requiring up to 80% lower emissions compared to current standards. Alongside this, updates to Part L of the Building Regulations are focused on heightened performance around energy efficiency, system performance and heat loss.
The decisions made at the specification stage today will determine the operational efficiency of a system from day one, influence operational costs and even ensure longevity to support long-term benefits for occupants. Crucially, they’ll also ensure the flexibility of systems to adapt to shifting regulations in the coming decades, delivering true sustainability.
With the right systems in place, specifiers can look beyond short-term gains to minimise energy demand over time, reduce waste and ensure systems remain fit-for-purpose well into the future.
Renewables are just the starting point
Naturally, renewable technologies have come into greater focus as the conversation around home heating efficiency has ramped up. Already, many new homes are being equipped with low-carbon heat sources, such as heat pumps, from day one. While this sparks a move away from traditional gas boilers and subsequently reduces operational emissions, specifiers must consider systems as a whole to deliver truly future-proof solutions.
The efficiency of domestic plumbing and heating systems isn’t determined solely by how heat is generated, but also how it is distributed and controlled around the home. This makes key decisions such as material selection and pipework design through to temperature control and heating distribution essential.
Complimenting low-carbon heat sources, low-temperature heating systems which are designed to operate at lower flow temperatures can make a meaningful contribution towards reduced household emissions.
Underfloor heating (UFH) can be installed in new build properties seamlessly to distribute heat evenly throughout a home. With a greater surface area than traditional radiator systems, often spanning the entire floorspace, UFH operates at temperatures of around 40°C, improving thermal comfort while reducing the energy required to operate it.
Alongside the introduction of UFH, specifiers can look more broadly at the plumbing materials used in modern systems to support system longevity. In the context of decarbonisation and sustainability, specifying systems that stand the test of time means fewer replacements, which carry a carbon impact, making plastic piping and components an attractive option.
Now commonplace in new build homes, plastic has the initial advantage of supporting speed of installation; and delivers tangible long-term benefits. Being corrosion resistant protects performance over its service life, while long pipe runs mean fewer connections, which are a common source of leaks as systems age.
Finally, specifiers must also consider how systems will be managed and controlled. Here, valve specification has a broad impact and can support sustainable operation over time. Pressure Reducing Valves, for example, help to protect systems from excessive pressure, ultimately reducing stress on pipework and appliances and helping systems to perform for longer. Even relatively new technologies, such as leak detection systems, have a meaningful role to play in underpinning longevity and supporting decarbonisation by reducing waste and protecting resources.
Specifying for decarbonisation and longevity
When it comes to decarbonising home heating, specifiers are in a unique position to make decisions that will deliver impact for decades. With the right product selection, it is possible to balance the need for durability, efficiency and performance and create systems which produce less emissions over their lifetime.
That can be achieved with a focus on low-temperature distribution, durable materials and effective controls, all of which work together to create domestic systems that perform consistently throughout their service life. Crucially, being compatible with modern heat sources such as heat pumps, ensures greater flexibility in the future as regulations continue to evolve.
RWC and its family of brands – including Reliance Valves, JG Speedfit, SharkBite and JG Underfloor – manufacture market-leading plumbing and heating solutions that support specifiers to get every project right. With today’s decisions actively shaping the future, in practice, with effective product selection from trusted manufacturers, specifiers can shape buildings for the future.
