37% of the UK’s emissions come from heat in buildings, including space heating and hot water, making it the largest source of emissions in this country. The government is committed to decarbonising heating in our buildings as a core part of its strategy to meet net zero in 2050, which includes the development of heat networks.
Why heat networks?
Heat networks distribute heat from a central source for example a cascade of boilers within a plantroom or a heat pump, to end users. These end users could be residents in flats, students in educational establishments, patients in hospitals, staff in public buildings and offices, and more. Heat networks produce less emissions as they are highly efficient systems that remove the need for individual boilers or heaters in each building connected. What’s more, they can use different heat sources, including low carbon heat pumps.
What business opportunities are there for the taking?
The government’s aim is to increase the percentage of heat from heat networks from 2024’s 3% to 20% in 2050. According to the Heat Networks Industry Council, up to £80 billion could be invested to achieve this.
In the immediate future, heat network zoning will be launched in 2025 which uses a methodology to identify zones where heat networks are expected to offer the lowest-cost solution for decarbonising heat. Using new legislation under the Energy Act 2023, it empowers local communities to accelerate the development of heat networks in their area.
The growth in heat networks over the coming years represents an opportunity to enter an expanding market.
Components of a heat network
A heat network consists of three core elements:
- The energy centre which generates the heat for the primary water that is distributed around the system
- The pipework that distributes the primary water to end users
- Heat Interface Units (HIU) that transfer heat from the primary distribution network to the end-user’s heating system or generates instantaneous hot water. These come in indirect or direct models.
HIUs: keeping it simple with Ideal Heating
If you are taking advantage of the growth in heat networks, then making the installation work as quick and simple as possible is the key to success.
Our range of POD HIUs are available in both indirect or direct types, with domestic hot water outputs from 30 - 70kW, and feature highly efficient stainless steel brazed plate heat exchangers. They are energy efficient, reliable, high performance – as you would expect from Ideal Heating equipment - but the really great thing about our POD HIUs is their ease of installation!
POD HIUs come with a first fix kit, which incorporates the service valves, appliance support and hanging bracket which can be delivered and installed ahead of the POD unit so all services can be piped up, flooded, flushed, and tested in advance, enabling phased construction programmes.
When ready, POD is super quick and easy to install (and to service for that matter). We have specifically designed it so that engineers will recognise quite a lot of the components from our domestic range, and end users will find the controls in the drop-down front panel familiar and easy to understand. The units can also be controlled using Ideal Heating’s OpenTherm programmable room thermostat.
Any competent heating engineer should be able to install our POD HIUs with minimum instruction, although we do offer a free product training course to ensure successful installation, commissioning and maintenance to correctly specified heat networks.
Creating the energy centre
We hold a complete range of commercial condensing boilers which work perfectly when creating the energy centre for any district heating system. From the UK's number one wall-mounted commercial boiler Evomax 2 through to our complete floor standing range including the market-leading Imax Xtra 2. We have everything you need.
Heat networks are growing in number and size in the UK, especially across South East and North West England. It’s a business opportunity not to be missed and, with our POD HIUs, it’s an easy string to add to your bow!
To find out more about our POD HIU go to: Pod HIU or speak with your local business development manager, Contact Us
