11th May 2022 By neil merrett
A new HHIC whitepaper said the end of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has left the UK without any financial support for hybrid heat solutions that can combine heat pumps with other fuels
The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) says incentives for low carbon heat systems are neglecting hybrid technologies that could be an important step in cutting UK fossil fuel demand.
The trade body said the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which will this month begin to provide up to £5,000 or £6,000 to help cover heat pump costs, is focused solely on incentivising all-electric systems. This means that hybrid systems that combine multiple heat technologies are ineligible for the funding. With the Renewable heat Incentive (RHI) scheme no longer accepting applications as March of 2022, the HHIC said there were now no UK subsidies for installing hybrid heat systems.
The trade body argued it was vital to introduce new methods of supporting the installation of hybrid heat pumps in order to provide a more flexible option to wean the UK off its current reliance on natural gas for heat.
The comments have been made alongside the publication of a new HHIC whitepaper entitled, ‘Hybrid Heat Pumps: A Flexible Route to Decarbonise Heat’.
Among the main conclusions of the paper is the claim that hybrid systems should be considered as offering a more immediate and flexible means of reducing carbon emissions for homes that are presently unable to switch to or afford a fully electric heat pump.
Expanded use of hybrid systems would allow for more gradual energy efficiency improvements to then be made in the fabric of homes to allow for an increased reliance on electric heat, the HHIC argued.
The whitepaper said that hybrid systems can combine a heat pump with a range of different of different solutions such as hydrogen boilers, biofuels or direct electric heating. It noted that hybrid systems could also be an effective means of using bio-LPG fuels that are presently available in lower volumes.
The whitepaper said, “Pursuing a hybridisation strategy can extend the availability of this fuel to more homes as volume develops. Off-grid homes are the most difficult to treat and many owners are already supporting their system with secondary heating such as wood burners.”
“The LPG industry plans to increase output of bio-LPG in the coming years, offering further opportunity to decarbonise for those using this set up. For on-grid homes, there are plans to blend natural gas with 20 per cent hydrogen by 2023. This will deliver carbon savings of around seven per cent.”
Stewart Clements, director of the HHIC, said that the current lack of support for hybrid systems, such as an air source heat pump combined with a gas boiler and intelligent controls, has undermined a potentially viable route to introduce lower carbon heating.
He said, “It’s important to acknowledge that transitioning directly to all-electric technology simply isn’t going to be an option for many consumers. For this reason, it’s vital that this level of support is extended to hybrid systems too as a means of bridging the gap.”
Among the potential barriers for hybrid adoption identified in the paper is the issues of skills and training. The whitepaper said it would be important to ensure there were sufficient skills to understand how building fabric and the insulation in a property can impact thermal performance and heat demand.
These skills should include use of room-by-room heat loss calculations that are being included in training schemes of a growing number of manufacturers that are part of the HHIC.
Mr Clements added, “While it would be fair to say that more manufacturers are launching all-electric systems, the key challenges to uptake here are accessibility and attractiveness to the consumer.”
“In this sense, hybrid systems may serve an effective intermediary between traditional gas boilers and low-carbon heating so we hit the governments shorter term goals. For this reason, the HHIC strongly advocates that the government adopts a revised position on this technology, as we believe it to be one of the most practical routes to net zero.”
Elizabeth Wilkinson, Chair of the HHIC Hybrids Group and head of domestic product management with Groupe Atlantic, said hybrid heat could be an important approach to decarbonising the varied and complex housing stock across the UK.
She said, “It’s clear that we will see significant diversification of technologies used to supply homes with heating and hot water. Hybrid heat pumps can play a role in this by providing a consumer-friendly steppingstone to full decarbonisation, whether that’s through decarbonisation of the gas grid or an upgrade to a full electric solution.”
“Hybrid heat pumps are a practical solution that enable carbon reduction in homes now, and with recommendations in this paper, such as clearly defined standards for hybrid control to ensure carbon savings, they should not be overlooked in policy as a route towards net zero.”
Tagged with: Elizabeth Wilkinson government incentives Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) HHIC Hybrids Group Hybrid Heat Pumps: A Flexible Route to Decarbonise Heat
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