THE FINE BALANCING ACT BETWEEN THE ELECTRIFICATION OF HEAT AND EFFICIENT HEAT STORAGE TO REDUCE THE UK’S RELIANCE ON THE NATIONAL GRID

Alex Hill, Managing Director of Whitecode Consulting, reveals why heat pumps and the electrification of heat may need to be combined with sensible heat storage and load shifting strategies to help reduce the demand on the National Grid.

With the UK aiming to reach net zero in 2050, identifying ways to decarbonise all heat in buildings is becoming imperative. However, with this comes the likely increased demand for commercial, industrial and domestic usage facilitated through wider UK electrification. As a result, policymakers are currently concerned Britain’s power plants may not cope.

As the heating sector is dominated by natural gas, with around 24.5 million UK homes currently using natural gas as their main source of heating, reducing this fossil fuel dependence is a key focus for the foreseeable future.

This is where heat pumps can play a significant role. In fact, the UK Climate Change Committee recommends them as a crucial part of the aforementioned plan to reduce carbon emissions by 2050.

However, switching to heat pumps could increase electricity use at peak demand times, furthering the demand on the National Grid. With that in mind, it’s important that system manufacturers and housebuilders look at ways in which heating electrification through heat pumps can be combined with battery technology and renewables to provide a truly sustainable heating solution.

For instance, combining heat storage with photovoltaics and batteries could ensure more effective load shifting and lower the demand on the National Grid.

Why is it important?

With nascent technologies, such as carbon capture and hydrogen power stations, facing an uncertain future, there are fears that Britain’s power plants will struggle to meet the surging demand. To add to the concerns, delays to the construction of nuclear plants have led to debates over their costliness and worthiness.

As a result, some doomsday predictions could see Britain with 39 gigawatts less power than previous forecasts. That would essentially mean 28 hours during 2035 when there may not be enough supply to meet demand.

The vital role the electrification of heat could play

With heat pumps having a much higher efficiency than existing heating technologies, energy demand could be significantly reduced. Indeed, for every unit of electricity a heat pump uses, it moves three to four times as much heat into a home as a gas boiler produces.

Working similarly to air conditioners and refrigerators, but in reverse, heat pumps heat homes and other properties by using electricity to move heat from external sources to inside the building. More efficient than storage heaters and other electric heaters, they’re also cleaner than gas boilers, as they don’t emit air pollutants.

Furthermore, a recent study by the Energy and Power Group at the University of Oxford revealed that UK households could reduce carbon emissions from heating by nearly 66% in the short term, just by using a heat pump instead of a gas boiler.

The fine balance of electrification and flexible heating

While heat pumps could significantly reduce carbon emissions caused by heating, the resulting increased peak electricity demand could severely impact the National Grid.

Indeed, when this is combined with the increased number of electric vehicles, the electricity networks could require rather expensive upgrades, from local distribution grids and substations right up to large-scale transmission lines.

However, ensuring a system-wide approach to flexible heating where new heating systems are closely integrated with smart controls, heat storage and programmes that incentivise and reward households that shift energy consumed, could be a prudent solution.

Additionally, storing heat from heat pumps in a super-insulated cylinder could allow building owners to store energy at a time when demand is low and electricity is cheaper. This energy would then be released to heat the building when it is needed, limiting the need for new generation capacity and staggering the use of electricity throughout the day.

While heat pumps will certainly play an essential role in reducing carbon emissions and a building user’s energy usage, it’s important that the construction industry understands that they’re not the sole technological solution for sustainable heating.

In fact, those involved in the design and construction of buildings need to work closely with heating system providers to integrate energy efficient heating systems, such as heat pumps, with smart controls, heat storage, batteries technology and photovoltaics to help reduce demand on the National Grid and limit the reinforcement of existing electricity networks.