low-carbon economy

Nick Gander and Rod Davies of Energy Carbon tackle some common concerns when preparing low-income housing ready for the future.

We live in a rapidly changing world with exciting changes in the UK impacting what we are able to supply for low-income families for their new homes.

The home needs to be ‘green’ and have low embodied carbon. It needs to have zero energy bills and should have little to no ongoing maintenance costs. It must also meet all the government’s targets for 2050, and beyond. But what does this all actually mean?

Over the next few years, the prevalence of low-carbon heating technologies will rise significantly, bringing big changes in how the UK’s buildings are heated. Hydrogen is one of the key energy sources forming part of this conversation.
The UK Hydrogen Strategy gives clear direction on the Government’s commitment to the role this low carbon fuel source can play in meeting its target of becoming net zero by 2050 and builds on ambitions previously outlined in the Government’s 10-Point Plan and Energy White Paper. However, it highlights the uncertainty remaining on the scale and demand we can expect to see in the future, with hydrogen expected to form between 20-35% of the UK's energy consumption by 2050 and no final decision on the role of hydrogen in buildings until 2026 after the hydrogen village trial in 2025.

Hear the truth about heat pumps from the counties and countries that have real experience….

Panasonic is pleased to announce its support for Heat Pump Month, produced in conjunction with Low Carbon Homes UK. Beginning on 17th June, Heat Pump Month provides a month-long series of free-to-attend online events aimed at bringing together housing, built-environment, policy and installation professionals. The first event takes place at 4pm-8pm on 17th June where attendees can access a team of industry experts including one of Panasonic’s low carbon experts, Tony Lathey.

The fully-financed solar generation and smart battery storage solution will help housing associations meet their carbon reduction targets and alleviate rates of fuel poverty amongst tenants

The UK energy services company, SMS plc, has unveiled a unique new solution that aims to radically reduce carbon emissions of Britain’s social housing stock. Through Solopower, SMS is partnering with local councils and housing associations to significantly upgrade the energy performance of social accommodation, delivering solar generation, battery storage, and smart meters to landlords and their residents at zero upfront cost.

In deploying these smart home energy technologies – which are intelligently controlled and optimised by SMS’s FlexiGrid™ aggregation software – Solopower can decarbonise housing electricity by approximately 90% per home. The solution will therefore contribute to the enhancement of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings and reduce tenant electricity bills by up to 25% (approximately £200 in savings per year).

Donald Daw looks at whether the world is finally relinquishing its grip on carbon intensive fuel.

The news currently seems full of stories about how much renewable energy is on the rise yet there is still a lot of the World’s economy invested in gas and oil so what will the transition to a low-carbon economy over the next 10-20 years look like and what does this mean for the country’s consumers and businesses?