We have the knowledge, experience and skills to play our part in ensuring the nation achieves its Net Zero targets and so our customers have the best and most advanced solutions for heating and hot water, whatever their needs and requirements.
We believe in a sustainable and greener future that involves multiple technologies.
Shaun Edwards
CEO - Groupe Atlantic, UK, ROI & North America Divisions
Lizzie Wilkinson, Product Manager for Ideal Heating (Domestic Division)
Decarbonisation and the drive towards Net Zero by 2050 is fast becoming a reality throughout the UK, which means the way we provide heating and hot water to homes will fundamentally change over the coming years.
Heat pumps or hydrogen?
A flurry of activity at the end of 2020 saw the publication of the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution, closely followed by the publication of the Energy White Paper.
These documents stated ambitious targets for the heat pump market, aiming for 600,000 installations per year by 2028.
And the door’s still open for hydrogen as a fuel source for domestic heating – an area in which trials are ongoing.
So, the message from government isn’t electrification or hydrogen; a combination is likely.
There are still questions to be answered around hydrogen – which will hopefully come throughout 2021 – but the path for electrification and heat pumps is already set and gathering pace.
The latest building regulations
This is evident in the recent response to the Part L1A consultation, published in early January, and badged as an “Interim Part L” before the arrival of the Future Homes Standard (FHS).
Despite delays to the Interim Part L, the government remains committed to implementing the FHS in 2025.
So where are we now?
- The 31% reduction in carbon emissions vs current targets has been confirmed as expected;
- There’s been a slight shift in focus to ensure future-proofing for low carbon heating systems such as adopting a fabric-first approach, by maintaining the FEES measure and pointing to a maximum heating design temperature of 55°C;
- And the changes to the transitional arrangements mean we will see the impacts of the building regulations in homes relatively quickly.
This demonstrates a desire from government to develop “low carbon ready” homes, where a low carbon heating source can be retrofitted with minimal fuss.
The Ideal vision
At Ideal Heating, our world is constantly evolving to meet our customers’ needs.
Our long-term vision is to continue to support our customers regardless of fuel source, and to ensure a collaborative approach to the energy transition.
In the short term, that means electrification and heat pumps, and longer-term, changes to the gas supply in the form of a hydrogen blend and potentially, 100% hydrogen.
Our access to high quality, reliable heat pump technology comes from our parent company; Groupe Atlantic is the French market leader, where heat pumps have been widely installed in high volumes for years.
We have a unique opportunity to combine our group-level technical expertise with Ideal Heating’s unrivalled market knowledge and strong customer relationships in the UK.
This puts us in a strong position to provide a complete service package, from design and specification support through to installation, commissioning, service and repair, plus technical training.
Our first air to water heat pump is arriving in 2021, and we have a full product pipeline in development specifically for the UK, to meet the varied needs of our customers.
Check out this blog about low carbon heating in the commercial sector – and keep coming back here for more insight, advice and analysis on the domestic side, too.