Photo by: Simon Haslett / Unsplash
When developing off-grid properties, fuel source is an important consideration. Not only does the fuel source need to be environmentally sustainable, but ease and cost of installation, and the needs of the end user all need to be taken into account.
Currently, LPG is the fuel of choice for nearly 200,000 homes, and is frequently used in rural off-grid locations[1]. With 100% renewable LPG available today, and £600m of planned investment into the LPG industry over the next five years, here are five reasons why LPG is the most efficient transitional fuel for off-grid properties.
- LPG is the lowest carbon conventional fuel available to off-grid properties
For property developers and buyers who are conscious of the environment, LPG emits 35% less CO2 than coal, and 12% less than oil[2]. It also produces 90% less carbon monoxide and 50% less smog than mains natural gas[3].
- BioLPG can help the UK meet net zero goals
BioLPG offers up to 90% carbon emissions reduction as a 100% renewable, sustainable alternative for rural homeowners [4]. It can also be ‘dropped into’ existing systems, which means that if LPG was the fuel of choice when developing a property, homeowners would not have to change their storage tanks or adjust their appliances in order to use it.
Liquid Gas UK also launched its ambition to transition to 100% renewables by 2040 back in 2019, in order to support the Government’s target for a net zero future by 2050.
- LPG systems are easy to use
Buyers will be familiar with using gas-powered appliances. LPG provides heat and hot water on demand when used with a combination boiler, while cookers and hobs that run on LPG also instantly ignite and are easy to control.
Tanks can be monitored remotely, meaning they are automatically topped up.
- LPG is low cost to install
LPG systems typically cost about £2,000 and take significantly less time to install than electric heat pumps[5]. The upfront cost of a heat pump in a rural property can be up to £18,000[6].
There is also a well-established LPG supply network across the UK meaning customers will have a choice of supplier.
- LPG systems can be used alone or as part of a hybrid energy system
According to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) LPG and BioLPG can be used in conjunction with solar and wind energy and hybrid heat pumps in rural areas.
For homes using solar and wind energy, LPG offers a flexible and complementary low carbon fuel source to power these homes when intermittent renewables cannot meet demand or are not generating due to weather conditions.
When used with a heat pump, the LPG or BioLPG fuelled boiler can operate at peak times to provide high-temperature heating when the heat pump cannot meet the full heating demand.
To find out more about LPG and BioLPG, visit: Liquid Gas UK : Clean, Efficient Energy from the UK Liquid Petroleum Gas Association
