EXPERT INSIGHT
eco-friendly heating Darren Mcmahon, marketing director of heating systems manufacturer Viessmann, tells us all
We can all do our bit to help prevent climate disaster by adopting environmentally-friendly heating systems which reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. As a nice bonus, these also reduce energy bills. Even if we don’t voluntarily choose eco-friendly heating, the government plans to strongly encourage us down this path, either through incentive or legislation. As part of the UK’S commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050, new installations of fossil fuel boilers are expected to be outlawed from as early as 2025. It’s worth remembering that millions more gas boilers will be installed in homes before 2025, and millions will still be in service up to 15 years from now. This means when choosing a boiler it’s important to check its energy rating, and check that it’s connected to an outdoors-located ‘weather compensation’ sensor: this alone can reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.
Gas boilers can be complemented, and sometimes replaced, by heat pumps. These extract natural heat from the air, ground or water and convert it into heat. Ground source heat pumps (GSHPS) require the laying of trenches underground, so they are only suitable for homes with large gardens. Where outdoors space is limited, a vertical borehole can be drilled, but this does cost more. Both types work best with underfloor heating and are only suitable for homes with good insulation.
Easier and less expensive to install than GSHPS are air source heat pumps, which take heat from the air surrounding the home. A cabinet with a fan simply has to be located on the ground outside. This works on the reverse principle to a refrigerator, drawing in the ambient air and transferring this to a heat exchanger. A cylinder will also be needed for hot water storage.
Another option for homes with big heat demand is a biomass boiler. This heats the home and water by burning wood pellets – more eco-friendly than it sounds if the wood is sourced from renewable, quick-growing trees. However, these boilers are large and the pellets must be dry-stored, which typically requires six to 10 square-metres of floor space
The most visible of all eco-friendly heating options are solar panels, which harness free energy emitted by the sun, to be converted into either electricity or heat. Solar roof tiles are more attractive than panels, but about twice the price. And because the sun cannot always be relied upon to make an appearance, back up will be needed from a boiler or heat pump. viessmann.co.uk