Keeping heat networks on the critical path
Heat networks are one of the vital components of the UK’s net zero roadmap, with the government targeting 20% of heat from heat networks by 2050.
One way of achieving this ambitious target and successfully accelerating heat network deployment is through use of prefabrication, says Ian Robinson, technical manager for heat network solutions at Baxi.
With no single solution to decarbonising heat, heat networks are recognised as a critical part of the UK’s plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Currently, heat networks supply less than 3% of the UK’s heat, but the government is targeting 20% of heat from residential, commercial and industrial sectors by 2050.
To grow the heat network sector efficiently and in a controlled manner, the government is regulating it and using 'zoning' to drive up scale. For customer protection, new regulatory technical requirements are being introduced for new and legacy heat networks. The Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) will help heat network operators demonstrate compliance with these requirements. Where networks do not meet the requirements, mandatory improvement plans will be enforced to bring them up to the expected efficiency and carbon performance levels. The new standard will be overseen by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM), appointed the UK’s heat network regulator under the Energy Act of 2023.
At the time of writing, we are awaiting the response to the recent government consultation, but the rollout of heat network zoning is expected to begin from 2025. The scale of deployment required to achieve the government’s ambitious target in 25 years is huge and the number of connections to the heat network even more daunting.
Fortunately, prefabrication offers a solution to the task at hand. This article will look at how employing prefabrication techniques will enable us to build heat networks efficiently, reducing time and costs while simultaneously improving quality and keeping them on the critical path.
