Waste not, want not. That’s how the saying goes, and it is a saying local authorities in England and Wales are taking to heart. In an effort to reach the countries' goal of slashing carbon emissions by 2050, new government-backed plans call for a huge expansion of “heat networks” that use warmth generated by industrial machinery, geothermal energy, and subway trains to heat homes, The Telegraph reports.
A heat network is, as it sounds, a large network of insulated pipes that transports hot water or steam to “heat exchanger” units in homes in order to heat up the mains water supply. Basically, the networks make use of heat that is produced as a waste by-product of commercial or industrial processes in order to replace less efficient domestic gas boilers.
Of the 381 local authorities in England and Wales, 131 of them are now working on some sort of heat network plan.
Islington, north London is planning to use heat generated from the Northern Line of the London Underground network while other locations are exploring using geothermal heat from deep beneath the earth's surface or even recycling heat from pottery kilns from the local ceramics industry.
In 2015, an additional £320 million was set aside to help fund the construction of up to 200 projects, which would produce enough heat to supply 400,000 homes.
There are still two main hurdles that need to be overcome for these plans to work, however. The first issue is in creating a viable business model for the rollout to millions of households. Currently, it is difficult to finance a project without securing customers, but it is difficult to secure customers for something that doesn’t yet exist.
The second issue is in figuring out how to deal with “customer protection, choice, and pricing” Richard Howard, Head of Energy and Environment at Policy Exchange says in an interview with The Telegraph. “Heat networks generally lock customers in on very long term contracts, which can be 15-20 years.” A contract that long may scare away potential customers.
While heat networks seem to offer a glimmer of hope for de-carbonizing heating supplies, it remains to be seen just how viable they will actually be once implementation begins.
Related Stories
Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023
A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building
Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Sustainability | Apr 20, 2023
13 trends, technologies, and strategies to expect in 2023
Biophilic design, microgrids, and decarbonization—these are three of the trends, technologies, and strategies IMEG’s market and service leaders believe are poised to have a growing impact on the built environment.
Resiliency | Apr 18, 2023
AI-simulated hurricanes could aid in designing more resilient buildings
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method of digitally simulating hurricanes in an effort to create more resilient buildings. A recent study asserts that the simulations can accurately represent the trajectory and wind speeds of a collection of actual storms.
Green | Apr 18, 2023
USGBC and IWBI unveil streamlined certification pathway for LEED and WELL green building programs
The U.S. Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc., and the International WELL Building Institute released a streamlined process for projects pursuing certifications for the LEED green building rating system and the WELL Building Standard. The new protocol simplifies documentation for projects that are pursuing both certifications at the same time or that have already earned one certification and are looking to add the other.
K-12 Schools | Apr 18, 2023
ASHRAE offers indoor air quality guide for schools
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released a guide for educators, administrators, and school districts on indoor air quality. The guide can be used as a tool to discuss options to improve indoor air quality based on existing HVAC equipment, regional objectives, and available funding.
Urban Planning | Apr 17, 2023
The future of the 20-minute city
Gensler's Stacey Olson breaks down the pros and cons of the "20-minute city," from equity concerns to data-driven design.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 17, 2023
World's largest multifamily building pursuing ILFI Zero Carbon certification under construction in Washington, D.C.
The Douglass, in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8, is currently the largest multifamily housing project to pursue Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2023
Watch: Trends in urban design for 2023, with James Corner Field Operations
Isabel Castilla, a Principal Designer with the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, discusses recent changes in clients' priorities about urban design, with a focus on her firm's recent projects.
Sustainability | Apr 10, 2023
4 ways designers can help chief heat officers reduce climate change risks
Eric Corey Freed, Director of Sustainability, CannonDesign, shares how established designers and recently-emerged chief heat officers (CHO) can collaborate on solutions for alleviating climate change risks.
