renewable heating

George Clarke wonders how on earth our plans to deal with the climate crisis are going.

Optimism and excitement should be the order of the day. 2023 ended with an agreement at COP28 for a “transition” that should signal the “beginning of the end” of fossil fuels – the main driver of climate change. 2024 begins with high expectations in the UK of what can be achieved to get ever closer to net zero.

Mitsubishi Electric has recently conducted some research with IPSOS that suggests 7 in 10 people know little or nothing about heat pumps. 

On the one hand I find this really surprising because heat pumps have been in the press and across many forms of media in a MASSIVE way over the last
2 years.

The government have been pushing air source heat pumps and so has the industry. They are now regarded as one of the ecological and sustainable replacements for fossil-fuel burning heating systems.

But, on the other hand, with people being bombarded with so much information from many different directions about so many ‘alternative solutions’ to virtually everything, it is hardly surprising that they aren’t up to speed with air source heat pumps.

A new wave of government funding is driving fresh opportunities for social housing providers and developers to decarbonise their UK housing stock. Adam Greaves, Panasonic Key Account Manager – Heating Solutions, puts forward the case that embracing renewable technologies such as installing heat pumps can have a significant effect in meeting net-zero goals.

Heat pump manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric, is calling on the construction industry to come together to address the UK’s need to quickly transition to low carbon heating – as it launches what it believes is the widest range of commercial and residential heat pumps on the market.

Achieving the Government’s ambitious target of 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028 will require a tenfold increase in the number of installations over the next five years. This presents a significant opportunity for businesses throughout the supply chain to help customers in the transition to low-carbon heating.

Amidst growing debate around how we tackle the climate challenge, a unique partnership between Vaillant and Gasway has demonstrated the importance of innovation and collaboration in helping the industry achieve its carbon neutral future.

Founded in 1982, Gasway is the largest heating company in East Anglia with a proven track record, delivering excellence in heating systems including domestic gas, renewables and commercial heating.

In 2016 the business was acquired by Flagship Group, a housing association with over 32,000 homes in the region, supporting its vision of solving the housing crisis in the East of England.

With this number of homes, it is vital to have a leading heating manufacturer on board to meet the full heating specification requirements of the homes, while also enabling Gasway to continue to serve the private market.

One of the current key challenges in the housing sector is how to tackle the move from traditional fossil fuel sources to new, renewable and low carbon solutions for heating residential homes. Panasonic’s UK and Ireland Head of Marketing, Richard Bishop, focuses on the importance of live demonstrations and regular training for installing and maintenance, to keep ahead of the game when it comes to sustainable technology.