Modern Building Services

14 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES OCTOBER 2022 FEATURE NET ZERO O ur new report ‘Working towards Net Zero’ sheds light on the attitudes toward direct electric heating inside the construction industry, with many industry professionals preferring it as a means of retrofitting small homes and apartments. Since the UK government set its target of Net Zero by 2050, significant efforts have been made to reduce emissions across the whole of the economy. In the construction industry that means decarbonising supply chains, replacing non-renewable energy with renewables, and using low- carbon heating methods. Themost recent Climate Change Committee (CCC) parliamentary report, published in June 2022, highlighted that for the UK tomeet its target of Net Zero by 2050, at least half of the current heat demand for buildings must be supplied by low- carbon sources by 2035. The need to change to low-carbon alternatives apply to all UK buildings, but the pressure is on residential construction tomake the change. Residential homes are by far the largest contributor to UK buildings emissions. Buildings emissions make up 20%of the UK total emissions, and residential homes account for almost 80%of that. The UK construction industry has an opportunity tomassively reduce the nation’s overall carbon emissions. It is against this backdrop that the recent report has revealed important and timely attitudes towards the decarbonisation of heating and direct electric solutions within the construction industry. The report shows that the construction sector sees the need for change. It sees insulation and low-carbon heating as essential, especially when paired with renewable tariffs. And it sees decarbonisation as both a challenge and opportunity for growth. Priorities first Decarbonising heat in UK buildings is not a single solution problem. There are several means of reducing emissions that can be used in tandem to reach the UK government’s goals; one size doesn’t fit all. The report reveals that installing low-carbon heating is ranked as the most or second-most important method for reducing carbon emissions by 48% of the construction industry. Above that, efficient insulation is considered to be the top priority. As the UK grid incorporates more renewable sources of energy, direct electric heating has become a viable low-carbon heating method for construction. Ultimately it is the electricity grid’s ‘generation mix’ that determines the carbon intensity of any form of electric heating. So, as renewables continue to replace fossil fuels, electricity is becoming a low-carbon source of energy. Eventually, the generation mix will greatly outweigh oil or gas in favour of renewables. Pairing a direct electric heating method, such as underfloor heating or electric radiators, with a renewable electricity tariff, will prove to be one of the most effective ways of decarbonising heating in residential and non-residential settings. The construction industry doesn’t generally have control over the tariffs used in residential and non-residential settings, but they do have control over the heating solutions they install. Using direct electric will set the stage for UK housing stock to transition to low-carbon heating as electricity becomes greener. Forward-looking retrofitting New homes need to be built with low-carbon heating methods. But, without replacing and retrofitting older homes with low-carbon alternatives, it won’t be possible to meet the Net Zero target. Alistair Bell , Director at ThermoSphere, discusses the mood in construction, and the industry’s opportunity for growth. Direct electric heating: A real low-carbon alternative for construction