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By Kingsley Clarke, SCF Framework Operations Lead

 

 

 

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has now launched, which will support the aim of reducing emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037. It will provide over 1.5 billion of grant funding up until 2026 to support public sector organisations which are facing pressure to deliver carbon savings and meet upcoming Net Zero targets.

Eighty percent of UK buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built, and while it might seem easier to develop new buildings which meet sustainability targets, the opportunity to retrofit existing building stock to ensure they meet climate change targets can’t be ignored.

With the built environment sector accounting for 40% of all carbon emissions released, there is a growing awareness around whole life carbon and ensuring that we are using less carbon for the whole lifecycle of a building.

In support of our public sector partners, SCF has set up the SCF Climate & Sustainability Working Group, a collection of contractor representatives with expertise in carbon reduction and sustainability.  It is their job to monitor developments in legislation and best practice and in this article, we have taken their insight to support you to make informed decisions about retrofit.

With many universities and schools pledging to become carbon zero by 2030 or 2050, is the greenest building always the one that already exists and what challenges do educational establishments face when considering carbon retrofit?

 
To build or not to rebuild? The issue of historic buildings

Universities and schools are some of the most historic buildings in the UK so retrofitting them presents a complex challenge. According to Historic England, older buildings require a special approach as they take up moisture from their surroundings and release them according to environmental conditions, heating up and cooling down more slowly. This equilibrium can be affected when changes are made to increase energy efficiency and can have adverse consequences such as moisture accumulation or overheating.

Each historic building is unique, and despite the potential carbon cost, it might not be appropriate to retrofit due to structural or design issues – in which case a rebuild may be the better option.

By ensuring due diligence is done and processes such as a two-stage open book is undertaken via frameworks such as SCF, this will enable building risks to be assessed early on, allowing the entire ecosystem to be considered.

If suitable however, retrofit can make a huge difference to carbon reduction. A heat pump can reduce carbon emissions by up to 70% compared with a gas boiler and The UK Committee on Climate Change has highlighted  the need to speed up their deployment. But proper insulation needs to be in place or viable as an option for this efficiency to be maintained, so it’s important that this is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Safety considerations must also be considered. Retrofitting can serve to address the need for repairs faced by some schools and universities across the country, including asbestos removal. But it might be the case that the entire building is unfit for use due to structural safety issues, in which case a rebuild will need to be undertaken.

 

Are your buildings retro(fit) for the future?

Retrofitting existing buildings presents an educational opportunity to pupils, creating a dialogue about sustainability between students, local authorities, and teachers. With a skills shortage in retrofit, schools, colleges, and higher education institutions have a part to play in inspiring future generations to consider the importance of sustainable buildings.

Biodiversity is also a key factor to consider. With the biodiversity net gain rules coming into effect in November 2023, it’s worth thinking about retrofit as an option as this will ease the biodiversity commitments due to the lessened impact on site.

Another key consideration is whether existing educational buildings are sufficient to meet the needs of the future student population. According to a report by the Office for Students, UK’s higher education population is expected to grow by 12.3% by 2025, increasing the requirement for additional campus buildings. Contractors can therefore work closely with universities to ensure they are meeting sustainability targets in future buildings when retrofit simply doesn’t meet future spatial requirements.

Recently, SCF contractor Galliford Try built a new state-of-the-art tech park at Chichester University to provide new engineering and digital creative technology facilities to support 500 new undergraduate and postgraduate student places per year. Passivhaus design principals were applied resulting in running costs efficiencies.

 

What are the cost considerations?

Retrofitting is not a quick fix to rising energy bills, but in the long run modifications to a heating system will improve a building’s lifetime running costs while reducing energy consumption. The House of Commons Library estimates that schools’ energy bills have risen by 93% in the last year, so retrofitting can enable schools and universities to make much needed savings.

 However new buildings may reduce the need for future repairs, while also reducing carbon to the extent that the original embodied carbon emitted during the build process will be offset.

 

One size doesn’t fit all

The issue of whether educational institutions should take a retrofit first approach is complex. Each has its own goals and barriers. However, with the National Audit Office estimating that 60% of current educational building stock was constructed before 1976 when sustainability concerns were not as much of a priority, it’s important that this imbalance in addressed.

Whether or not to retrofit, shouldn’t be a binary decision, or one which is made in isolation. The environment is a huge issue for students today and will continue to increase in importance as the impact of climate change accelerates. It’s important that solutions are chosen that will do the best by planet and people.

 


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Chris Goggin details construction projects and financial funding directly related to future widespread UK hydrogen usage. Customers of energy and all related products will be provided with insight into projects that involve hydrogen use and production by big business inside the UK and EU.

 

 


Future UK energy options will be clean, domestically sustainable and free from market interference. Low carbon alternatives will be gradually introduced in replacement of environmentally harmful fossil fuels. A form of future energy that fulfils a low carbon criteria and can be domestically manufactured is hydrogen.

The UK government has recently released their latest report detailing a future approach to hydrogen dispersal. In brief, present calculations for the use of hydrogen as an upcoming UK energy option will be limited to decarbonising hard to reach sectors of industry and transport. If scientific data that proves hydrogen adoption yields beneficial results, hydrogen could be used to heat domestic and commercial properties.

Various hydrogen projects are being pursued, constructed and installed by leading international energy companies such as Shell and BP as well as several other large UK energy operators.

Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola will invest €170 million in constructing and developing a green hydrogen facility at Felixstowe, England’s largest port. Manufacturing capacity will be around 14,000 tons a year with the ambition to double this figure in the near future. All green hydrogen that is produced will be used to power port vehicles and machinery.

Norwegian state-owned oil and gas company Equinor has submitted a bid for UK governmental funding of £16 million with the aim of constructing a second blue hydrogen facility in the Humber region of England. A final investment decision will be made in 2025.

The Hydrogen to Humber (H2H) Production 2 site will be located close to Equinor’s H2H Saltend project – another blue hydrogen facility. Operations will begin in 2028 if the construction and approving processes are not complicated by unforeseen events.

Both Saltend and Humber projects will use natural gas to produce blue hydrogen and utilise CCUS technology (Carbon Capture & Underground Storage) that will detain a vast majority of created emissions. Equinor also received £8.4 million in governmental funding, a figure matched by private investments to begin Saltend construction.

Another big company hoping to deliver a hydrogen production facility is UK oil and gas company BP. BP has submitted plans to the UK government detailing their vision in constructing and running a green hydrogen hub that will supply clean energy to local industry, businesses and homes.

BP’s HyGreen Teesside project will be located in the Northeast of England. Production and distribution of green hydrogen will be targeted for 2025. MOU’s (Memorandum of Understanding) have been agreed with potential local buyers of end-product green hydrogen, signalling large demand.

One such MOU has been signed with Northern Gas Networks (NGN). BP and NGN will see 2,000 local homes and businesses powered by hydrogen from 2025. It is hoped that the installation of a regional hydrogen hub can assist in enabling a functioning hydrogen economy across the region and nation.

HyNet North West is a £750 million joint venture project that includes several big names such as Cadent, Essar Oil UK and Eni UK. Two blue hydrogen production facilities and CCUS technology will be constructed and inserted into Essar Oil’s Stanlow Refinery and be transported through yet to be assembled infrastructure.

HyNet’s hydrogen hub will contribute 80% of the UK’s 5GW low-carbon hydrogen target that will be utilized in industry, transport and domestic heating. All produced hydrogen will be distributed across Northwest England and North Wales. Operations could begin in 2025.

Two major European economies in The Netherlands and Germany have embraced hydrogen as a potential contributor towards decarbonising national energy resources. The Netherlands is in the process of retrofitting 136,000 km of natural gas pipelines to transport hydrogen for industrial and domestic consumption. The Netherlands “National Hydrogen Network” will be ready for operations in 2031.

Germany is encouraging large domestic industrial hydrogen transitions and residential hydrogen dispersal. German steel producer Salzgitter will spend €723m to replace industrial procedure involving coal with green hydrogen. The German government is also experimenting with trials that use hydrogen to heat properties.

European economies are keen on a switch to hydrogen. At present UK plans are not definitive on the role of hydrogen in the national energy transition, while an influx of data demonstrates the positive benefits of hydrogen usage into policymakers expanding its role in the UK energy transition.


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RINNAI HYDROGEN BLENDS READY 20% CONTINUOUS

FLOW WATER HEATERS BEATS STORED WATER

SYSTEMS AT PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS 

Property experts and contractors have completed the installation of a complete new hot water delivery system at a top London Premiership football club, replacing an outdated stored cylinder configuration with a practical and economic hot water solution. The renowned club replaced their old traditional system with a specifically designed new energy efficient Rinnai continuous flow delivery on demand water heaters that offer and are certified for Hydrogen blends of up to 20%.

Rinnai water heating systems have been installed in almost all top UK Premiership clubs in the UK. The latest installation was completed at a stadium which is less than 20 years old and was considered ‘state-of-the-art’ once completed. The club had initially utilised a traditional stored system where hot water is kept heated until required. The new system is capable of delivering over 9000 litres of temperature controlled hot water each and every hour, non-stop.

A premiership football club will have huge peaks of demand and the site simply cannot afford to run out of hot water on match days. The demand is for the kitchens, the catering, the hospitality, the toilets and the extensive wash and showering facilities.

Continuous flow systems heat water upon demand meaning that fuel is only used when the system is operational.

The installation completed at this London premiership club included a manifolded bank of 10 Rinnai Sensei N series 1600i continuous flow water heaters together with the Nexus scale protection and a BMS Integration. All units featured Rinnai commissioning to secure long term warranty guarantees.

For Rinnai Ricky Lewis, Associate Director Corporate Sales, said, “We were able to demonstrate that the Rinnai system can yield financial reductions of nearly 20% of the running cost, over 30% of the upfront cost, over 15% in carbon footprint, over 75% in space, over 85% in weight compared to heated storage systems, creating a highly practical and economic solution for the client whilst lowering onsite carbon.”

Rinnai continuous flow water heaters are an integral part of the organisations H1 initiative which aims to utilise natural gas, Hydrogen blends, Hydrogen, LPG and Bio-LPG to lower onsite emissions. Rinnai continuous flow units are typically 30kg – a one-man lift, making the entire installation process far easier. Two sizes are available – 47kW and 58kW. Both produce 774 and 954 litres per hour at a 50-degree rise respectively.

Rinnai H1 continuous water heaters and boilers offer practical and economic decarbonization delivered through technological innovation in hydrogen and renewable liquid gas ready technology. Rinnai’s H1 option is centred on hydrogen, as it is anticipated that clean hydrogen fuels will become internationally energy market-relevant in the future; Rinnai water heaters are hydrogen 20% blends ready and include the world’s first 100% hydrogen-ready hot water heating technology.

Rinnai H2 – Decarbonization simplified with renewable gas-ready units, Solar Thermal and Heat Pump Hybrids. Rinnai H2 is designed to introduce a practical and low-cost option which may suit specific sites and enable multiple decarbonisation pathways with the addition of high performance.

Rinnai’s complete range of hot water heating units are available for next day delivery on orders placed before the previous mid-day.

 

RINNAI’S H3 DECARBONISATION OFFERS PATHWAYS & CUSTOMER COST REDUCTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL, DOMESTIC AND OFF-GRID HEATING & HOT WATER DELIVERY

Rinnai’s H3 range of decarbonising products include hydrogen / BioLPG ready technology, hybrid systems, and a wide range of LOW GWP heat pumps and solar thermal. Also, within Rinnai’s H3 range is Infinity hydrogen blend ready and BioLPG ready continuous flow water heaters which are stacked with a multitude of features that ensure long life, robust & durable use, customer satisfaction and product efficiency.

Rinnai’s range of decarbonising products – H1/H2/H3 – consists of heat pump, solar, hydrogen in any configuration, hybrid formats for either residential or commercial applications. Rinnai’s H3 range of products offer contractors, consultants and end users a range of efficient, robust and affordable decarbonising appliances which create practical, economic and technically feasible solutions. The range covers all forms of fuels and appliances currently available – electric, gas, hydrogen, BioLPG, rDME solar thermal, low GWP heat pumps and electric water heaters.

Rinnai H1 continuous water heaters and boilers offer practical and economic decarbonization delivered through technological innovation in hydrogen and renewable liquid gas ready technology.

Rinnai’s H1 option is centred on hydrogen, as it is anticipated that clean hydrogen fuels will become internationally energy market-relevant in the future; Rinnai water heaters are hydrogen 20% blends ready and include the world’s first 100% hydrogen-ready hot water heating technology.

Rinnai H2 – Decarbonization simplified with renewable gas-ready units, Solar Thermal and Heat Pump Hybrids. Rinnai H2 is designed to introduce a practical and low-cost option which may suit specific sites and enable multiple decarbonisation pathways with the addition of high performance.

Rinnai H3 – Low-GWP heat pump technology made easy – Rinnai heat pumps are available for domestic and commercial usage with an extensive range of 4 – 115kW appliances.

Rinnai’s H3 heat pumps utilise R32 refrigerant and have favourable COP and SCOP.

Rinnai is a world leading manufacturer of hot water heaters and produces over two million units a year, operating on each of the five continents. The brand has gained an established reputation for producing products that offer high performance, cost efficiency and extended working lives.

Rinnai’s commercial and domestic continuous flow water heaters offer a limitless supply of instantaneous temperature controlled hot water and all units are designed to align with present and future energy sources. Rinnai condensing water heaters accept either existing fuel or hydrogen gas blends. Rinnai units are also suited for off-grid customers who require LPG and BioLPG or rDME.

Rinnai products are UKCA certified, A-rated water efficiency, accessed through multiple fuel options and are available for purchase 24/7, 365 days a year. Any unit can be delivered to any UK site within 24 hours. Rinnai offer carbon and cost comparison services that will calculate financial and carbon savings made when investing in a Rinnai system. Rinnai also provide a system design service that will suggest an appropriate system for the property in question. Rinnai offer comprehensive training courses and technical support in all aspects of the water heating industry including detailed CPD’s. More information can be found on Rinnai’s website and its “Help Me Choose” webpage.


CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE RINNAI WEBSITE

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Ideal Heating – Commercial Products is the proud sponsor of the Engineer of the Year Award

at this years Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

Building Performance Awards.

 

The CIBSE Building Performance Awards recognise the people, products and projects that demonstrate engineering excellence in the built environment. They are the only industry awards that focus on actual, measured performance outcomes, and not just design intent or performance specifications.

 

There are over 20 categories featured in the Building Performance Awards, from those that recognise products and innovation, through to teams and projects, but only one that specifically recognises the impact of a single person: the Engineer of the Year award. This award rewards the contributions of practicing building services engineers in helping to create and maintain a sustainable built environment.

 

This is the fifth year in a row that Ideal Heating has sponsored the Engineer of the Year award. Richard Brown, Head of Specification Sales for Ideal Heating, explains why: “As a manufacturer dedicated to providing heating solutions that meet today’s requirements but with our sights fixed firmly on 2050 and a decarbonised future, we witness first-hand the impact that individuals can have in driving change in the built environment and delivering on quality. We are honoured to be sponsoring this award and we look forward to congratulating the winner, and all those shortlisted.”

 

The CIBSE Building Performance Awards are taking place on 1st March at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London, hosted by comedian Angela Barnes.

 


 

CLICK HERE For more information on Ideal Heating – Commercial Products

 

 


 

Rinnai’s H3 range of products which stands for Hydrogen / BioLPG ready, Hybrid Heat pumps and Solar Thermal and finally a wide range of LOW GWP heat pumps, includes the Infinity hydrogen blend ready and BioLPG ready continuous flow water heaters which are stacked with a multitude of features that ensure long life, robust & durable use, customer satisfaction and product efficiency.

 

The Rinnai Infinity 11i (H541 x W373 x D173) 17i (H541 x W373 x D173) and 17e are ideally suited to any and all domestic properties or small businesses that need instant, economic and temperature-controlled volumes of hot water. The temperature range for all three models is between 37-65 degrees centigrade making them ideal for comfortable ablutions and heavy-duty high volume commercial cleaning for instance in restaurants where high temperature can cut through oil and grease.

 

The Rinnai Infinity 11i (11i Litres per minute) and 17i (17i litres per minute) are hydrogen ready at 20% hydrogen-methane blending and is Ultra Low-NOx surpassing ECO-DESIGN requirements. This model is internally wall mounted and is easily & quickly installed due to its light weight (14kg) and simple wiring.

 

Rinnai’s Infinity 11i and 17i include inbuild frost protection and push fit flue system. The system operates on demand with direct electronic ignition, ensuring that the continuous flow water heater only fires when hot water is needed, providing temperature accurate hot water instantly. In comparison traditional water storage systems will keep a body of water heated for when it is needed resulting in unnecessary energy usage and cost.

 

Rinnai Infinity 11i and 17i models can be delivered to site in Hydrogen Blends ready natural gas, LPG and BioLPG variations ensuring that the units can cater towards hard-to-reach industries and off-grid properties.

 

The final model in this range is the Infinity 17e external continuous flow water heater, the externally mounted 17i internal model in terms of flow rate and diminutive, lightweight design. External water heaters give the added benefit of relatively unconstrained installation caused by flue citing issues. The external variants are used widely in agriculture, glamping pods and leisure settings.

 

Rinnai’s Infinity models are designed to reduce energy usage and all related costs throughout a product’s working lifecycle. The products are designed to enhance efficient performance, product durability and reduce costs across all aspects of purchase and product labour.


For more information on the RINNAI product range visit

www.rinnaiuk.com


RINNAI H3 PRODUCT ROADMAP TO LOWER CARBON AND NET ZERO DE-CARBONISATION

 

Rinnai’s product and service offering is based on H3- Hydrogen, Heating and Heat Pumps –  which allows any site in either residential or commercial sites to maximise the energy efficiency and performance in striving for NetZero and Decarbonisation. Additionally, Rinnai is developing and introducing electrical formats to all existing product ranges within the next few months. Rinnai’s new “H3” range of products includes a wide selection of commercial heat pumps as well as hydrogen blends-ready and hybrid hot water heating systems.

Rinnai is a world leading manufacturer of hot water heaters and produces over two million units a year. The company operates on each of the five continents and the brand has gained an established reputation for high performance, robust cost efficiency and extended working lives.

Rinnai’s commercial and domestic hot water products offer a limitless supply of instantaneous temperature controlled hot water and all units are designed to align with present and future energy sources and accept either natural gas or hydrogen gas blends. Rinnai units are also suited for off-grid customers who require LPG and BioLPG or rDME.

Rinnai units are UKCA certified, A-rated water efficiency, accessed through multiple fuel options and are available for purchase 24/7, 365 days a year. Any unit can be delivered to any UK site within 24 hours. System design services are available if needed and cost comparison services are accessible to all customers who require further cost detail.

Rinnai’s Innovation Manifesto clearly outlines the path to carbon neutrality and maintains a pledge to fully decarbonize company operations by 2050. Rinnai will further support the global clean energy transition by introducing a wide variety of domestic heating options across multiple energy vectors.

Rinnai is committed to decarbonisation. Rinnai’s water heating products are all hydrogen-blends ready NOW including the world’s first 100% hydrogen powered water heater. Rinnai products also accept BioLPG capable of delivering NetZero carbon emissions. Rinnai offer comprehensive training courses and technical support in all aspects of the water heating industry. More information can be found on Rinnai’s website and its “Help Me Choose” webpage.

 

A GUIDE TOWARDS NET ZERO AND LOWER CARBON EMMISSIONS – UK ENERGY FOR THE FUTURE

 

 

 

Rinnai’s Chris Goggin lists a brief guide to national & local power variables that do, and might, in the future, supply the UK end-user and consumer. He looks at what is currently on offer and how that energy is manufactured and operates within the total UK mix of fuels.

 

As the UK is now firmly in an era of energy transition it is important that all interested parties – heating engineers, contractors, consultants and end-users – should be aware of what alternative energy is currently available and future options being actively considered.

Carbon heavy fuels are currently being phased out and replaced with a variety of low carbon alternatives. Instead of oil, natural gas and fossil fuel-generated electricity, renewable sources such as wind, wave and solar are being gradually introduced into the UK energy mix.

Biofuels such as BioLPG and RDME could also become UK market relevant along with green gasses such as hydrogen, which is supported by the UK hydrogen strategy and a myriad of pilot schemes across the UK. Energy policy in the UK is also planning to increase nuclear capacity with the construction of several new facilities, with the objective of providing low carbon electricity and potentially hydrogen. Following is a short exposition of each energy vector.

 

HEAT PUMPS

Heat pumps are an old but current technology – the first was invented by Peter von Rittinger in 1867. They can be considered zero carbon at the point of use. However, the carbon intensity of the system is dictated by the electrical grid generation method. A heat pump works by extracting heat from air outside and elevating its temperature using a compressor. Compressed heat Is then transferred into a body of water for heating and DHW.

Residual heat is stored in a hot water cylinder used for showers and baths. If installed correctly on to an appropriate property a heat pump will prove to be an energy efficient, effective tool of decarbonisation to the end-user.

Heat pumps are widely used in Scandinavian countries and other major European economies such as Germany. Mainstream UK media support heat pumps as do governmental grants that supply most initial purchase costs. Heat pumps are available with approved technology that encourages decarbonisation.

SOLAR ENERGY

 

Solar energy absorbs sunlight into photovoltaic panels which produces an electrical charge. This charge of electricity is then converted and transported into a domestic or commercial application. The UK government encourages domestic renewable energy installation. Homeowners can partly subsidise their solar panels through several governmental grants.
One example of UK homeowners incentivised towards solar thermal installation through a governmental scheme is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) which allows homeowners to receive payments for unused excess energy exported back to the national grid.

Solar power is viewed as holding the potential to contribute meaningfully towards the current and future domestic UK energy mix as well as multiple others across the globe. Only recently it was announced that Global renewable energy company – Low Carbon, has announced construction of 3 new large solar farms in Essex, Derbyshire and Buckinghamshire. Construction in Buckinghamshire will begin immediately. Once complete the facility will provide clean power to more than 7300 homes. Capacity of this site will be 23.4MW. Work on the 28.8MW Derbyshire and 23MW Essex locations will begin in the early new year – 2023. Similar installations are being constructed across every continent.

WIND ENERGY

Renewable wind energy is created when wind turbines are pushed by natural currents of air which is then converted into electricity via a generator. Current UK direction of onshore wind energy is convoluted. At present there is a ban on installing new onshore wind farms inside the UK. However, some media outlets report that the ban is lifted, others maintain the ban is still in effect. Offshore wind farm capacity is being expanded to meet future demand. There are several new installations being constructed inside UK and Irish waters.

Offshore wind facilities under construction and due to begin operations. Amongst the new sites to be introduced is the Dogger Bank Wind Farm off the coast of Yorkshire, Northeast England which will begin operations in 2025. £8.27 billion has been invested into this project and is a joint venture undertaken by SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni Plenitude.

WAVE ENERGY

Wave energy is created once captured kinetic energy gathered by tidal movements pushes a turbine, which in turn produces electricity. Wave and wind energy rely on the same concept of utilising kinetic energy to generate power. Wave energy is considered 100% carbon neutral. Wave energy is expensive to produce and maintain but is also effective. UK policy adjustments in market and planning legislation could see wave power become expanded to meet future demand.

Further on-land construction work is continuing on the £35 million Holy Island Tidal Energy Scheme, in North Wales. 35 sq km of seabed will be used to generate as much as 240MW of clean tidal electricity, enough to power 180,000 domestic properties.

rDME

Renewable DiMethyl Ether – known as rDME – is a molecule-based fuel that can be produced through a wide range of renewable feedstocks which allows for quick and long-term sustainable production. rDME contains a similar chemical composition to Butane and propane and can be mixed with LPG in existing appliances to continue product operations.

rDME combusts cleanly and releases no “soot” emissions. It has many fuel properties that make it easily used in sites and appliances currently using diesel as a fuel. It has a very high cetane number, which is a measure of the fuel’s ignitibility in compression ignition engines.

Future capacity of rDME is set to rise sharply, further increasing the likelihood of rDME being introduced nationally at some stage soon. A demonstration plant is to be opened later this year, whist the first operational commercial site manufacturing rDME will be on-line in 2024 in Teesside.

LGP & BioLPG

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a low carbon fuel source that is supplied in two forms – propane and butane. BioLPG is 100% carbon neutral and produced through renewable feedstocks such as plant and vegetable waste. Both are considered future forms of carbon friendly energy.

LPG producers see a role for Bio-LPG in the future whether that be blended with LPG or BioLPG. The fuel can be theoretically drop in, meaning limited disruption and user familiarity. Companies have invested over £260 million to date in developing clean liquid gases, including bioLPG and rDME to market. During the transition to renewable liquid gases LPG will remain a valuable part of the low carbon energy mix.

As economies and industry attempt to decarbonise fuel supplies, demand for LPG and BioLPG will rise. Legislation amendments introduced by the US, EU and Japan could see both demand and produced volume of BioLPG increase.

NUCLEAR ENERGY

Nuclear energy occurs when a reaction from either uranium or plutonium is stimulated to generate electricity. The UK government is keen to expand nuclear capacity.

As of writing, it has been confirmed that the UK government will inject £700 million of taxpayer’s money in developing Sizewell C nuclear power plant. Doing so will provide 6 million homes with low carbon electricity for more than 50 years and strengthen national energy security.

HYDROGEN

Hydrogen is produced in various forms signalled by a spectrum of assorted colours: blue, green, pink, brown, grey, yellow and turquoise.

 

  • Blue hydrogen is formed once natural gas is heated with steam in a process called Steam Methene Reforming (SMR). Hydrogen and carbon dioxide are created as a result meaning that emissions must be captured and stored for blue hydrogen to become a low carbon fuel source.
  • Grey hydrogen uses Steam Methene Reforming without capturing any emissions.
  • Green hydrogen occurs once water molecules are split into oxygen and hydrogen using renewable energy to power an electrolyser which sits in a water basin. Green hydrogen is considered 100% carbon neutral and is regarded as a source of future clean energy.
  • Pink hydrogen is created through nuclear powered electrolysis whilst yellow hydrogen is produced through solar powered electrolysis.
  • Turquoise hydrogen is made using a process called methane pyrolysis which produces hydrogen and solid carbon.

 

An extensive list of major international energy companies, such as BP and Equinor has announced various projects costing billons that explore the introduction of hydrogen as a major contributor towards future global energy needs. Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola are planning to develop a green hydrogen production facility at the UK’s largest port in Felixstowe. Iberdrola is prepared to invest £150 million in the project which is expected to be operational in 2026.

Closer to home the UK issued its Hydrogen strategy in 2021, with the objective of achieving 10GW of Low Carbon Hydrogen by 2030. The strategy is also seeing rapid developments in pilot schemes using 100% hydrogen across the UK.


CLICK HERE

For more information on the RINNAI product range

 


 

Rinnai’s H3 range includes all mainstream varieties of renewable energy alternative options including, LOW-GWP heat pumps (4kw – 110kw) Hydrogen Blends 20% ready and BioLPG ready water heaters and boilers and market leading solar thermal. All options focus on creating decarbonisation pathways that are technically, practically and economically feasible based upon real life requirements. The H3 range is supported by in house design support along with carbon and cost modelling.

 

Rinnai can offer multiple avenues of cost reducing decarbonisation across various energy vectors. To create a healthier way of living, Rinnai is expanding customer choices in hot water provision as well as heating domestic and commercial buildings through a wide range of renewable energy systems. Rinnai’s solar thermal water heating systems are a market leading solution that saves up to 3.5x more carbon per m2 compared to conventional solar technology. This combined with the Rinnai Hydrogen and BioLPG ready condensing water heaters water heating system will save carbon and cost as the Rinnai water heaters will modulate from 58kw – 4.4kW dependent on the solar input therefore only using gas to boost the temperature when needed – harnessing renewable gains and not compromising on performance.

Core design values of Rinnai VirtuHOT solar thermal collectors have benefited from multiple workshops with experienced installers, whose valuable insights have been integrated into design and innovation. This has resulted in a system that is focussed on installer needs to simplify transportation, installation, and maintenance. From an in-life end user perspective the Rinnai VirtuHot system will deliver 50% greater financial returns per m2 in comparison to conventional solar technology, reducing ROI and saving energy and carbon in the process. The Rinnai condensing water heaters and VirtuHOT solar thermal array are backed with a warranty of up to 10 years to give additional peace of mind for installers and end users.

Rinnai intelligent condensing continuous flow water heaters can save more than 30% in operational running costs when compared to gas fired storage systems, helping to reduce fuel costs and exposure to ever-increasing energy and climate change legislation. All Rinnai & Naked Energy solar thermal products are precisely aligned with the hot water heating systems & units which are hydrogen blends-ready 20% and renewable liquid fuel (BioLPG and rDME) ready combustion technologies.

Rinnai’s H3 range of decarbonising products include commercial and domestic heat pumps that contain a variety of features: the HPIH range of commercial heat pumps is suited towards schools, restaurants, and small retail outlets. Rinnai’s HPIH Monobloc Air Source Heat Pumps – 21, 26, 28 & 32kW range can allow for up to seven units to be cascaded together or operate alone as one unit. Once joined together – can serve increased demand for heating and hot water.

The HPIH series includes a range of controls and system peripherals which ensures that all technical machinations can be monitored. Rinnai’s HPIH commercial heat pumps also deploy the refrigerant – R32. The HPIH use maintains an ERP rating of A++ making this range of heat pumps an ideal economic and environmental option for new build and refurbishment projects.

Rinnai’s HPHP series of LOW GWP heat pumps range from 48kw – 70kw. State-of-the-art technology added in the injection process outperforms gas compression technology and ensures that even with outside temperatures of –25 Celsius, heating, and hot water of up to 60 + Celsius can still be delivered.

Rinnai’s HPI SL range models perform with ultra-low sound capability ensuring compatibility with areas that hold strict sound compliance standards. All units operate in three different modes: heating, cooling and DHW and include specific system programmes that enhance product performance in all modes.


Rinnai’s H3 range is supported by free training courses, CPDs, FREE design services and extensive warranty options

 

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER DETAILS


  RINNAI H3 PRODUCT ROADMAP TO LOWER CARBON AND NET ZERO DE-CARBONISATION

Rinnai’s product and service offering is based on H3- Hydrogen, Heating and Heat Pumps – which allows any site in either residential or commercial sites to maximise the energy efficiency and performance in striving for NetZero and Decarbonisation. Additionally, Rinnai is developing and introducing electrical formats to all existing product ranges within the next few months. Rinnai’s new “H3” range of products includes a wide selection of commercial heat pumps as well as hydrogen blends-ready and hybrid hot water heating systems.

Rinnai is a world leading manufacturer of hot water heaters and produces over two million units a year. The company operates on each of the five continents and the brand has gained an established reputation for high performance, robust cost efficiency and extended working lives.

Rinnai’s commercial and domestic hot water products offer a limitless supply of instantaneous temperature controlled hot water and all units are designed to align with present and future energy sources and accept either natural gas or hydrogen gas blends. Rinnai units are also suited for off-grid customers who require LPG and BioLPG or rDME.

Rinnai units are UKCA certified, A-rated water efficiency, accessed through multiple fuel options and are available for purchase 24/7, 365 days a year. Any unit can be delivered to any UK site within 24 hours. System design services are available if needed and cost comparison services are accessible to all customers who require further cost detail.

Rinnai’s Innovation Manifesto clearly outlines the path to carbon neutrality and maintains a pledge to fully decarbonize company operations by 2050. Rinnai will further support the global clean energy transition by introducing a wide variety of domestic heating options across multiple energy vectors.

Rinnai is committed to decarbonisation. Rinnai’s water heating products are all hydrogen-blends ready NOW including the world’s first 100% hydrogen powered water heater. Rinnai products also accept BioLPG capable of delivering NetZero carbon emissions. Rinnai offer comprehensive training courses and technical support in all aspects of the water heating industry. More information can be found on Rinnai’s website and its “Help Me Choose” webpage.

 CLICK HERE For more information on the RINNAI product range

 

As the expert in innovative engineered wood panels for the UK construction and housebuilding market, we support our customer in lots of ways. Our popular downloadable checklist for housebuilders and interactive product guide proved invaluable in 2022; they are simple tools which ensure you are choosing the best panel product for your project.

 

You can download the checklist which will help in the selection of the perfect product from floor to roof. As you’ll see, the checklist is just one of many resources, available here, designed especially for the housebuilder.

 

The housebuilders’ page includes a fully interactive product guide to download, details of projects using our popular boards, answers to frequently asked questions, and samples and brochures to order. A simple click on the tabs at the side of the guide opens up the chosen product, application or technical information page. Whatever the project, the easy-to-navigate guide makes choosing the right product simple. The guide contains all the information needed on panels in the SterlingOSB Zero, CaberFloor, and CaberMDF portfolios, including detailed technical product data and installation advice. In addition to this, our guide highlights different applications, including roofing, flooring, walling, timber frames, hoarding, shopfitting, and furniture among others such as moulding and packing.

 

If you prefer a paper copy of the guide, which also encompasses contact information for general enquiries and technical expertise, you can request one here!

 

As you’d expect from the UK’s No 1 producer of engineered wood panels, we are committed to playing our part in reducing our emissions, and we are greener than you might think.  Our products are net carbon negative.  Find out more here.

 

All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. Responsibly sourced, the panels are FSC-certified and created from locally grown timber, cutting embodied carbon from transportation.


For further information, call 01786 812 921.

 


 

Cost of living causing consumers to think again about retrofitting

 

RICS and YouGov survey shows homes therefore less likely to be able to cope with climate impacts or to mitigate rising energy costs

The cost of living crisis, has cast new doubt on the progress towards the United Kingdom’s Net-Zero ambition. Previous research from RICS* had found that homeowners were citing cost of retrofitting as a barrier, but despite new policy measures, new research from RICS and YouGov shows that consumers are now concerned about paying for the cost of living above upgrading their homes.

Retrofitting has obvious benefits, such as being able to maintain a constant temperature in the home, as well as increasing the desirability of your property – the December 2019 Residential Market Survey*, prior to the energy crisis, cited almost two thirds of the survey’s respondents believed that the willingness to pay for energy efficient homes would rise in the next three years.

However, the latest consumer research from RICS and YouGov shows that homeowners are unsurprisingly looking to concentrate spending on escalating household costs.

The new research backs up previous calls made by the institution in 2020 for more policy measures to incentivise industry and consumers to retrofit the UK housing stock. The research found that while 34% of homeowners said they would invest in green technology to lower bills in the future, 45% would be focusing on using any savings to pay for their existing living expenses, meaning more incentives and cheaper options must be made available if the country is to stay on track to meet target and green 15million properties*.

This latest research follows the RICS January 2020 Residential Market Survey* where members operating in the residential sales and lettings market stated that without strong market driven incentives, regulation was the policy lever with the greatest potential to improve energy efficiency outcomes. Alternatively, a tax policy could achieve a similar effect through a mix of stamp duty and a reduction of VAT on home improvements.

Currently, the Government’s ambition to hit Net-Zero carbon emissions requires significant numbers of private homeowners to retrofit their properties to make them greener.

51% who confirmed they hadn’t already installed new energy saving measures in their homes but would know how to, said it was because of the costs involved. And of the same group, even those who would consider it to make their home more attractive to prospective buyers, 40% said they’d only consider spending around £1000 to £5000 on energy improvements, which could pay for some solar panels** but wouldn’t cover the heat-pump.

As the cost of living continues to consume more household finances, measures are needed to avoid many properties failing to meet targets and becoming un-mortgageable. To review the potential impact that failure to support consumers would have on the housing market, most homeowners (55%) would consider installing energy saving schemes if they knew it would make their property more attractive when it came to selling up. With figures from Rightmove showing that greener homes can attract a higher premium, properties need more than an EPC assessment to help inform decisions**.

As EPCs aren’t the best measure for all properties, as some listed buildings can’t have triple glazing for example, RICS is recommending and working with lenders and government to look into ‘Retrofit Surveys’ which would enlist the expertise of a professional – such as a building surveyor- to provide detailed advice on what technologies homeowners could install to help inform their decisions. This is supported with 77% of homeowners saying they’d find this advice helpful when thinking of buying a new home.

Sam Rees, Senior Public Affairs Officer at RICS, said:

“The retrofitting of millions of UK homes will be essential to helping to meet our net zero ambitions, however homeowners’ immediate concerns are understandably with the rising cost of living, especially their energy bills. It is important to recognise that retrofitting and the cost of living are not mutually exclusive issues.

“A suitably retrofitted, low-carbon home can help with the long-term challenges of the cost of living and reducing high levels of energy consumption. Achieving this however is not cheap. With the UK Government giving financial support to homeowners to support them with rising energy prices, RICS is calling on the government to extend this support and provide additional financial incentives to homeowners to encourage retrofitting and ultimately helping to tackle the cause of high energy usage.

“Before any significant investment is made on retrofit measures, RICS urges homeowners and the government to ensure a retrofit assessment is undertaken on the property first – ensuring that no unintended consequences occur such as overheating or increased energy demand. This is critical to protecting consumers and RICS is undertaking significant research to support such assessments.”

FURTHER INFORMATION

*RICS UK Residential Market Surveys UK Residential Market Survey (rics.org)

**Rightmove-Green-Homes-Report.pdf

The top energy saving measures homeowners who know how to make their home more environmentally friendly said they already had installed in their property were:

Double or triple glazed windows – 71%
Energy-efficient lighting – 69%
Loft/cavity wall insultation – 63%
Energy efficient appliances – 52%
Solar panels – 17%
Air source heat pumps 5%
Geothermal heating – 2%

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4357 adults of which 2776 are homeowners. Fieldwork was undertaken between 31st May – 3rd June 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

* 15 million homes need energy efficiency upgrades – Lloyds Banking Group plc

** Solar panels typically cost between £2,900 and £6,700 according to the Energy Saving’s Trust.

With government legislating for net-zero by 2050, what does this mean for UK energy markets and business models?

Getting to net-zero will require economy-wide changes that extend well beyond the energy system, leading to rapid and unprecedented change in all aspects of society.

Research published today by the UK Energy Research Centre shines a light on the level of disruption that could be required by some sectors to meet net-zero targets.

With many businesses making strong commitments to a net-zero carbon future, the report highlights the stark future facing specific sectors. Some will need to make fundamental change to their business models and operating practices, whilst others could be required to phase out core assets. Government may need to play a role in purposefully disrupting specific sectors to ensure the move away from high carbon business models, facilitating the transition a zero-carbon economy.

Sector specific impacts

The in-depth analysis presented in ‘Disrupting the UK energy systems: causes, impacts and policy implications’ focuses on four key areas of the economy, highlighting how they may need to change to remain competitive and meet future carbon targets.

Heat: All approaches for heat decarbonisation are potentially disruptive, with policymakers favouring those that are less disruptive to consumers. Since it is unlikely that rapid deployment of low carbon heating will be driven by consumers or the energy industry, significant policy and governance interventions will be needed to drive the sustainable heat transformation.

Transport: Following the ‘Road to Zero’ pathway for road transport is unlikely to be disruptive, but it is not enough to meet our climate change targets. The stricter targets for phasing out conventional vehicles that will be required will lead to some disruption. Vehicle manufacturers, the maintenance and repair sector and the Treasury may all feel the strain.

Electricity: Strategies of the Big 6 energy companies have changed considerably in recent years, with varying degrees of disruption to their traditional business model. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to continue to adapt to rapid change – or be overtaken by new entrants.

Construction: To deliver low-carbon building performance will require disruptive changes to the way the construction sector operates. With new-build accounting for less than 1% of the total stock, major reductions in energy demand will need to come through retrofit of existing buildings.

The report identifies how policy makers plan for disruptions to existing systems. With the right tools and with a flexible and adaptive approach to policy implementation, decision makers can better respond to unexpected consequences and ensure delivery of key policy objectives.

Prof Jim Watson, UKERC Director and Professor of Energy Policy, UCL said “The move to legislate for net-zero is welcome progress, but we need economy-wide action to make this a reality.
This includes policies that deliberately disrupt established markets and business models in some sectors – and address any negative impacts.”

Prof Jillian Anable, UKERC Co-Director and Professor of Transport and Energy, University of Leeds added “The UK transport sector is nearly 100% fuelled by fossil fuels, with only tiny niches of electrified and bio-fuelled vehicles.

Whilst politically challenging, the sector can only hope to reach ‘net-zero’ through whole-scale change that involves reducing hyper-mobility and fuel switching. This will lead to disruption to actors, global networks, governance and lifestyles.”