Heat pumps as a service offered in Britain by Swedish company

Aira, which offers subscription service at no upfront cost, has sights set on UK’s growing heat pump market. Jillian Ambrose discusses latest developments in an article on the Guardian website.   Swedish ‘Spotify of heat pumps’ hopes to reach more UK homes Britain’s plan to wean homes off fossil fuels has had a tepid start, … Continue reading Heat pumps as a service offered in Britain by Swedish company

Only through confronting our complex relationship with heat — by accepting the inherent dangers of more heat — that we can hope to seriously pursue real action on fossil fuel emissions

Jennifer Ellen Good, Associate Professor Communication, Popular Culture and Film at Brock University in Canada analyses our complex relationship with heat in an article on The Conversation website. She argues that the reckless pursuit of heat (among other comforts) through the burning of fossil fuels has turned heat from a source of life to a … Continue reading Only through confronting our complex relationship with heat — by accepting the inherent dangers of more heat — that we can hope to seriously pursue real action on fossil fuel emissions

New Joint Research Centre report on role of heat pumps in our energy transition

Replacing about a third of EU’s 86 million residential fossil fuel boilers with heat pumps could cut those households’ final energy consumption by 36% and their CO2 emissions by 28%. Heating of buildings accounts for almost 40% of final energy consumption and 36% of energy-related GHG emissions in the EU. Within these, residential buildings account … Continue reading New Joint Research Centre report on role of heat pumps in our energy transition

Germany’s three-party coalition government agrees on changes in transition to phase out oil and gas in its heating strategy

The latest policy rift within Germany's three-party coalition government appears to have been resolved with a compromise deal. This time it was over planned changes to laws on heating. The coalition hopes to put the law before the Bundestag this week and to secure its passage before the summer break begins in July. An article on the Deutsche … Continue reading Germany’s three-party coalition government agrees on changes in transition to phase out oil and gas in its heating strategy

Is hydrogen a realistic option for home heating?

Ran Boydell, Associate Professor in Sustainable Development at Heriot-Watt University, in an article on The Conversation website, argues against hydrogen being used for home heating. What are your views?   Replacing methane with hydrogen to heat homes is a bad idea – here’s why Hydrogen is an energy-rich gas, which releases no carbon emissions when … Continue reading Is hydrogen a realistic option for home heating?

Fossil fuels still dominate the German heating market

A new heating report in Germany shows that oil and gas boilers continue to dominate the heating market. Heat pump sales, however, have increased more than 50%. According to the German heat pump association (BWP), the report “clearly shows that the incentives to switch heating systems to renewable technologies are not yet sufficient.” The heat … Continue reading Fossil fuels still dominate the German heating market

What role can large-scale heat pumps play in Germany’s energy transition

Oil, coal and gas still provide most energy for heating in Germany. Large-scale heat pumps offer a cost-effective, climate-neutral alternative that use waste and environmental heat. Gero Rueter discusses their potential in an article on the Deutsche Welle website.   Energy crisis: Can large-scale heat pumps replace fossil fuels for heating? As Germany and other … Continue reading What role can large-scale heat pumps play in Germany’s energy transition

Too many technical difficulties to overcome to make hydrogen a viable low-carbon heating fuel

Fiona Harvey writes on The Guardian website about a new study that questions the suitability of hydrogen for home heating. What are your views?   Hydrogen is unsuitable for home heating, review concludes Hydrogen is unsuitable for use in home heating, and likely to remain so, despite the hopes of the UK government and plumbing … Continue reading Too many technical difficulties to overcome to make hydrogen a viable low-carbon heating fuel

Project to power 300 Scottish homes with ‘green hydrogen’ hit by delays, leaving some to question whether it is still worthwhile

Alex Lawson writes on The Guardian website about a Scottish project that openly question swhether it is a worthwhile undertaking and whether hydrogen will play a significant part in fuelling the homes of the future. What are your views?   ‘World-first’ hydrogen project raises questions about its role in fuelling future homes On the northern … Continue reading Project to power 300 Scottish homes with ‘green hydrogen’ hit by delays, leaving some to question whether it is still worthwhile

New report by Coolproducts: Impact of a ban of fossil heating technologies on NECPs and National Energy Dependency

Coolproducts coalition of European NGOs working to ensure that ecodesign and energy labelling truly work for Europeans and the environment. It recently published a report  that investigates the potential impact of an EU ban on sales of fossil boilers on achievement of existing targets for heating decarbonisation and energy dependency of the individual Member States. … Continue reading New report by Coolproducts: Impact of a ban of fossil heating technologies on NECPs and National Energy Dependency