Page 57 - European Energy Innovation - Autumn 2016 publication

Autumn 2016 European Energy Innovation 57

HEAT DECARBONISATION

Decarbonising heat –
the challenge for the UK

By Chris Le Fevre (pictured), Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

The challenge of mitigating the efficiency terms the UK has some of the system is to be developed:
environmental impact of fossil worst housing in Europe and 90% of
fuels in power generation existing housing stock is still expected • Heat Supply
has received a great deal of to be in use by 2050. Furthermore, most • Networks
attention in recent years. Much less householders are happy with gas which • Consumer premises
attention has been paid to the issue of is seen as cost effective, responsive and
heat despite its scale and importance reliable. The case for change is far from There is also the need to reduce
in many European countries. In the UK, understood or accepted. demand through improved energy
for example, heat demand accounts efficiency. The biggest gains are with
for 48% of total energy consumption There are three elements that need the consumer by, for example, installing
and between a fifth and a quarter of to be addressed if a zero carbon heat condensing boilers and cladding
total carbon emissions. In the UK 80%
of space heating and hot water in
domestic and commercial premises is
provided by natural gas with only 4.8
% coming from renewable sources in
2014 – the lowest in the EU.

If carbon reduction goals are to be met
heating will need to be substantially
decarbonised. Though the scale of
the task can appear daunting. The
annual amount of natural gas energy
delivered for heating in Great Britain
is nearly double that of total electricity
consumption and peak levels are 5
times greater. Heating demand varies
dramatically between seasons and on
a cold day in winter can be up to 12
times that of the summer load. Gas is
well suited to meet these requirements
in the UK:

• The fuel is available in nearly 23
million households

• A wide range of flexible supply
options including underground
storage and pipeline and LNG
imports means that peaks in demand
can normally be comfortably met.

Replacing natural gas is, therefore, far
from a trivial endeavour. The problem is
exacerbated by the fact that in energy

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