Oliver Baker, CEO at Ambion Heating, supports calls for a National Retrofit Strategy – particularly the UK’s housing stock – as he believes electric heating systems play a crucial role in decarbonising buildings
In many ways, the UK is unique when it comes to its housing stock. Potential homeowners, tenants and landlords have a huge choice of properties, from those steeped in history to high-rise flats. However, when it comes to decarbonising existing buildings, this variety can work against us. Quite simply, there is no one sustainability solution that is suitable for an off-grid 18th-century rural property, a three-bed 1980s semi-detached, a Victorian terrace or a 1960s flat. That is why a robust National Retrofit Strategy for our properties, that covers a wide range of low-carbon solutions, is vital to decarbonising our diverse housing stock.
Is the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy enough?
Many influential commentators – including the Climate Change Committee – have argued that the government’s long-awaited Heat and Buildings Strategy, which was published in October 2021, doesn’t go nearly far enough. And, in its ‘Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap’ the UK Green Building Council proposed more ambitious targets to upgrade both owned and rented properties. It also recommended that the government publishes a National Retrofit Strategy this year to ensure our net zero targets can be met.
Similarly, The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called on the government to outline measures for millions of interwar homes, with its research showing that the carbon emissions released from the 3.3 million homes built in England between 1919 and 1939 that have not been privately retrofitted account for 12% of the total 77 million tonnes of carbon dioxide produced each year by the country’s housing.
In addition, the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) and the New Economics Foundation (NEF) held a retrofit rally in Westminster which called for every home in the UK to be brought up to a good standard of energy efficiency by 2030.
Heating is a crucial part of of the low-carbon retrofit puzzle
When it comes to retrofitting, heating will clearly play a huge role. The government has made a commitment that all new heating systems will be low-carbon by 2035. However, the new funding it has allocated for this will only cover around 30,000 air source heat pumps (ASHPs) a year over three years, compared with the 1.5 million gas boilers to replace each year. And crucially, it doesn’t cover other low-carbon heating systems that could play a vital role in affordably retrofitting Britain’s draughty housing stock.
The market knows that ASHPs are not a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, research has shown that they aren’t realistic for around 40% of properties, which represents 8 to 12 million homes. So, while a recent government-sponsored report concluded that ASHPs are suitable for all properties, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best choice, particularly when it comes to heating properties such as flats or those with low thermal efficiency. Therefore, it is important that all electric heating solutions are considered for a low-carbon transition that is accessible for all.
A low-cost and low-carbon solution
One of these is computer-controlled infrared heating (CCIR), which can overcome some of the limitations of ASHPs. CCIR provides heat-pump levels of energy efficiency at a lower cost and across all property types. It uses 60% less electricity than conventional electric heating by combining the power of infrared with a unique, state-of-the-art computer-control system.
This control system completely replaces old-technology thermostats, using AI and computer algorithms to optimise energy use. This reduces both energy consumption and carbon emissions while maintaining a warm, comfortable heat. CCIR also drives efficiencies across a wide range of properties, including old, less thermally efficient buildings.
In addition, CCIR systems are easier to retrofit, because they simply need wiring into the mains rather than plumbing in. CCIR also doesn’t require a huge amount of space, which is often an issue with ASHPs.
It is clear that a wide-ranging National Retrofit Strategy is absolutely necessary, not just for our net zero targets, but to also reduce energy consumption – crucial at a time when prices are rising heavily.
And, installing low-carbon heating systems will be vital to this. However, the key to a successful rollout is choice – whether that is based on affordability, availability or feasibility. Heat pumps are not, and should not be the only option. Therefore, any future strategy will need to ensure it includes a wider range of technologies to decarbonise our diverse housing stock.
Oliver Baker
CEO
