ETI releases new report to support the UK’s transition to low carbon do The Journey to Smarter Heat, written by the ETI with support from the Energy Systems Catapult, tackles three interconnected areas: heating needs and controls within the home; heating infrastructure and building retrofit at a local level; and the operation and governance of the whole system. The report highlights that for the UK to transition to a low carbon heating system it must understand consumer needs and behaviours, while connecting this with the development and integration of technologies and new business models. Decarbonising heat means supplying homes with something other than natural gas. The report identifies the options available including, electrifying heat in individual homes, connecting neighbourhoods to new district heat networks, repurposing the natural gas grid to transport hydrogen or biogas and improving the fabric efficiencies of homes domestic heating, completing Phase 1 of its Smart System and Heat programme.
ETI 19th March 2019 read more »
A new programme has been launched by the government’s Energy Systems Catapult centre to assist small and medium sized businesses (SME) develop low carbon heating and cooling. The package, dubbed Incubator and Accelerator, offers SMEs support to secure investment for smart energy systems with expertise from the Catapult offered alongside a network of partners to help with business growth. Applications for the programme are open until 5 April, and the government centre has said that help with modelling services, consumer insights, digital and data services, system integration, business model innovation, market analysis, funding, and technical expertise can all be provided. The support follows the Government’s announcement last year of a £320m package to accelerate the adoption of low carbon heat technologies across the UK. Called the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP), it offers grants and loans to businesses, hospitals, schools and local authorities with a heat network of two or more buildings. The scheme is being operated by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which claims that a switch to heat networks could “significantly” reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, if the transition is carried out at scale.
Edie 19th March 2019 read more »
