Heat network workshops coming to a town near you

According to the Committee on Climate Change's Next Steps for UK Heat Policy, heating and hot water for UK buildings make up around 40% of UK energy consumption and 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. If we are to meet the carbon budgets set out in the Climate Change Act and adhere to our obligations under the Paris Agreement we will need to largely eliminate these by around 2050. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are supporting heat networks to provide part of the solution.

Heat networks (also known as district heating) supply heat from a central source – such as a biogas CHP – to consumers, via a network of underground pipes carrying hot water. Heat networks can cover a large area or even an entire city, or be fairly local supplying a small cluster of buildings. Once installed there is no need for individual boilers or electric heaters in every home and every building. Heat networks are well-suited to high-density built-up city centre areas, new build developments and campuses, and for some more rural off-gas grid communities.

BEIS is supporting the uptake of heat networks through the Heat Network Investment Project, which launches in full in the Autumn. You can find out more details about the scheme in our earlier blogs on this, available here. We are pleased that as we argued for in the design stages of the project, biogas applicants will be able to claim the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) for the heat they generate and can apply for HNIP funding for infrastructure required to get the heat to where it is needed.

To prepare potential applicants for the launch of the scheme, BEIS is running several workshops around the UK. The events are designed to present in detail the information provided in the HNIP Scheme Overview (published in April) and provide an opportunity to ask questions about the project.

The aim is to ensure that organisations are well prepared for the scheme, and that all stakeholders interested in applying for HNIP funding have the necessary information to submit high quality applications once the scheme launches in autumn.

The workshops will provide attendees with the following:

• An outline of the HNIP funding – background to why it has been made available and what the government seeks to achieve.
• Details on the application requirements to include, technical guidance, and information on how to carry out the preparatory work required before applying.
• Where to get further information and how to make contacts that can support with the process.
• An opportunity to raise questions and to network with other attendees and BEIS officials.

There are five HNIP workshops coming up:

• Wales, Cardiff (20 June 2018)
• Midlands, Birmingham (28 June 2018)
• North, York (5 July 2018)
• North East, Newcastle (31 July 2018)
• South West, Exeter (30 August 2018)

  RSVP: Please email Kristina Rafnson-Hall for the event dates and times, kristina.rafnsonhall@ecuity.com stating which event you would like to attend (both in the email subject and email text).