Heat policy comes into focus

District heating is seen as a “big growth area” for policymakers amid recognition heat demand cannot all fall on the electricity system, delegates heard at the launch of a research project into the future of heat on Tuesday.

Following the passage of an Energy Act almost entirely focused on electricity, policy attention is turning to cutting carbon emissions from heat.

At the launch of the Future Heat inquiry, run by Carbon Connect and jointly chaired by MPs Dan Byles and Jonathan Reynolds, there was a lot of interest but little consensus on the best route to a greener heat system.

Heating accounts for nearly half of UK energy demand and a third of greenhouse gas emissions. At present, 80 per cent of heat generation is fuelled by gas. Most models assume that load will mainly shift to run on electricity as fossil fuels are phased out, with the gas grid becoming obsolete by 2050.

However, Nigel Fox, energy demand manager at National Grid, pointed out heat demand is four times electricity generation. It is a “big ask” to shift that all onto the electricity system, even before you look at similar plans to electrify transport. “Full electrification of heat we don’t believe is practical.”

Electric heating and transport is only as green as the electricity generation mix that supplies it. “Transitioning to an electricity world only works if you are decarbonising electricity supply,” added Fox. “Gas remains a prominent part of the solution.”

Another option is to build district heat networks, which can be run on waste industrial heat or renewable sources. These currently deliver only 2 per cent of UK heat demand but are common in other European countries.

“It has become a big growth area for us”, said Decc director of heat networks Guy Boulby. “If our government in general has been power-obsessed for the past decade, now heat is about to get its rightful place.”