Elemental recently announced a partnership with The Heat Pump Association to bring you a series of informative content pieces on the latest developments in low carbon heating. In the first of our spotlight pieces, Michelle Eastty from the elemental team speaks to Chairman of the trade association, Phil Hurley about the road to decarbonisation and Net Zero.
1/What are the some of the main aims and objectives of the Heat Pump Association?
The Heat Pump Association champions the use and benefits of heat pump technology, representing 96 per cent of the country’s leading manufacturers of heat pumps, components and associated equipment. Working with key stakeholders, we influence legislation that will affect the industry and our members in particular. In the Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in October, the HPA was mentioned multiple times, so it’s great to see the influence we’re having through our collaboration with government and the high regard in which we are held.
2/How has the HPA helped to influence the Heat and Buildings Strategy?
It’s easy to say our sector needs more investment and to outline what we want, but at the same time we have to be pragmatic and work with government. The Clean Heat Grant was put forward by our association a few years ago. Through industry campaigning, it goes beyond earlier proposals, now running for three years from April 2022 with an increased funding pot of £450 million. Of course, more could be done, but it’s good to see this has now come to fruition.
3/What are the benefits of heat pump technology?
Heat pumps have been around for years and are a proven technology that can be implemented now, whilst additional low carbon solutions are developed. Sales of heat pumps are rising fast across Europe, with the highest penetration in Northern Europe. The UK government has committed to Net Zero by 2050, with an interim target to achieve a 78% reduction in emissions (against the 1990 baseline) by 2035. If we’re going to achieve this, we need to decarbonise our homes now, because they represent 15% of our carbon emissions.
To date, it’s mainly been in electricity generation where we’ve seen the big reductions in carbon, which is great. We know there’s going to be a range of technologies to help us achieve Net Zero. The strategy indicates that 600,000 heat pump installations per year is the minimum number that will be required by 2028 to be on track to deliver Net Zero. We need to be mindful that most of the heat pumps installed in the UK by 2025 are probably going to be in new build. The Government has committed to building 300,000 new homes a year by 2025 – and if they incorporate heat pumps that’s already halfway to the 600,000 target by 2028.
4/ What impact has the Heat and Buildings Strategy had within the heat pump sector?
From our point of view, it’s a huge confidence boost to our industry. For heat pumps to be in the mainstream press and trending on Twitter is really positive because consumers now know what a heat pump is and what it can do. It’s an established technology and the Government envisage that heat pumps should cost no more to run and have parity with a gas boiler within a decade.
Sales are already increasing and are likely to double this year. We’re pleased to see the strategy commits to a strong mass roll out. It gives us the opportunity to see heat pumps become the norm in our homes within ten years. As an industry we’re ready to respond and scale up the supply chain, help educate consumers and train installers. It’s about creating demand and you see in any market where sales increase, costs generally come down over time. As outlined in the strategy, we have the opportunity to grow the supply chain, increase heat pump certified installers and reduce costs.
5/As part of its strategy, the Government announced some funding for households purchasing heat pumps. How can costs be kept down in the long-term?
It’s going to be a challenge to get heat pumps to be the same price as gas boilers because of what’s in a heat pump compared to a gas boiler. Following my earlier comments, if we’re going to be installing 600,000 heat pumps by 2030, then costs will come down. Parity with gas running costs is a big one because that’s what consumers see. In the strategy, the Government has committed to shifting or rebalancing energy levies over time to help rebalance electricity and gas prices and to support green choices.
6/What are the some of the other challenges that need to be overcome?
To see 600,000 heat pumps installed by 2028 in line with the strategy, there needs to be a rapid rise in the number of installers qualified to install the technology. There are currently over 130,000 installers. Will we train all of them immediately? Probably not, but to reach the targets, we need to start training between 30-40,000 of them now. Our members are major heating manufacturers, and they have training academies up and down the country, so we’ve got the capacity to train at that level. The Government has also spoken about providing funding for retraining or upskilling.
In September we launched our new heat pump training course. This is offered in combination with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing Engineer’s Low temperature and Hot Water course, which covers essential skills for efficient heating that apply to all technology types. It’s essential that installers have the knowledge and skills they need to install all heating systems to perform more efficiently.
7/Last year, the HPA published a report on the steps that should be taken to retrofit homes for net zero heating, advocating a maximum flow temperature of 55°C for the installation of all heating systems from 2026. You recently surveyed installers on this issue. What were the key findings?
Since our report last year, draft guidance states that newly installed or fully replaced heating systems, including all heat emitters, should operate at 55°C or lower. There’s also a big opportunity to reduce the temperatures under building regs in existing homes as well. Some installers are doing that now, but our survey indicated there is a need for training to ensure that they have the skills and confidence to ensure that heating systems can operate correctly at temperatures of 55°C or below.
All heating systems, be it a low carbon heat pump or a fossil-fuelled gas boiler, are more efficient when operating at lower temperatures. That’s probably one of the big things that a homeowner could do now. Perhaps they haven’t yet got the money for a heat pump, but they could reduce the flow to a lower temperature so that when they do replace the gas boiler in ten years’ time, they’ve already got a system that’s low carbon ready.
Taking these steps has many other benefits in addition to reducing climate emissions. It makes homes more comfortable to live in, more energy efficient and more energy secure –so it’s a win-win situation.
8/ Elemental is partnering with the HPA to provide a series of informative content pieces on the latest developments in low carbon heating, of which this is the first. How will this help support the industry?
Further to my previous comments, there are several challenges and barriers that need to be overcome on the road to decarbonisation, including further legislation, funding, training, and design requirements. The content that elemental will cover, through interviews with some of our key industry members, will address the topics and issues that matter, detailing the obstacles and the possible solutions. We’re pleased to be working alongside elemental to promote the important work of the HPA and offer guidance on new developments and information for those seeking knowledge on this huge subject.
For more information about the Heat Pump Association please visit https://www.heatpumps.org.uk
