heat-policy

It’s pretty obvious that in order to decarbonise heating, we’re going to need a lot of heat pumps. Air-source, ground-source, air to air, air to water, big ones connected to heat networks – all may have a role in making the most heat out of low carbon electricity. Yet despite us knowing of their importance…

Following some public discussions, and media requests I’ve developed some thoughts on infrared heating and considered what it is, and why it’s unlikely to be an important future heating technology. What is infrared heating? IR heating emits infrared radiation and differs to what most of use have in our homes where we have radiators, so…

In this post I’ll consider what is going on in the global energy market, local implications and how it may affect plans for heat decarbonisation. It’s UK focussed but will be applicable to other countries with a heavy gas reliance. TLDR: Go as fast as you can on energy efficiency and renewables. The context The…

Even if the UK meets its goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and other countries follow similar paths, the risk of pushing the world beyond 1.5°C of warming is still significant. The difference between 1.5°C and 2°C is genuinely upsetting (including, but not limited to, expected irreversible damage to key ecosystems such as coral reefs and…

By Richard Lowes and Oscar Fitch-Roy, University of Exeter Energy Policy Group, 27th of January 2021 Dramatic falls in the cost of wind energy make it a strategically important form of energy for the UK which benefits from a globally significant wind resource; Electrifying heating utilising offshore wind as a basis supports net zero goals and…

Introduction BEIS released a suite of documents regarding ‘clean heating’ policy last Tuesday including most importantly details of what will follow on from the RHI[1]. This policy consultation comes in advance of a long awaited energy White Paper and in advance of a heat and buildings framework expected to be released later this year. We…

It’s pretty obvious that in order to decarbonise heating, we’re going to need a lot of heat pumps. Even the historically quiet-on-heat Ofgem said it yesterday[1].  Air-source, ground-source, air to air, air to water, big ones connected to heat networks – all may have a role in making the most heat out of low carbon…

These are the notes behind my short address at the Policy Connect roundtable on next steps for UK heat policy at 1 Great George Street, London. 22/1/20 5 minutes of heat policy – simplify, empower, enable and protect Beyond simplicity which I won’t define, Empowerment is about engagement, discussion and devolution of power. Enabling is…

A few months ago, I published a blog on 10 policy steps needed to support the decarbonisation of heat in the UK. Since then, the net-zero law has been adopted and public concern about climate appears to be high on the agenda. In this blog I update the previous steps based on some comments received and…

Around two years ago I released the blog: Is the ‘peak heat’ issue all it’s made out to be? It led to a piece in Utility Week magazine and a response by the Energy Networks Association. My blog discussed the use of the ‘peak heat’ frame by incumbents to imply that gas should be maintained for heating in the UK.…