Stelrad - Fit for the Future - Catalog - Page 8
The case
for low
temperature
heating
systems
The phasing out of natural gas as a fossil fuel
The generation of electricity within the U.K. is predominantly
by renewable means and this is set to increase. Generation
from coal has as all but ceased. The remainder is largely
supplied by power stations fuelled by natural gas.
Legislation removing the supply of fossil fuels to new dwellings
is expected to be in place in the near future. The removal
of fossil fuels to existing dwellings (both commercial and
domestic) is expected to be published in 2025.
The cost of Gas versus electricity
The cost of generating and supplying electricity compared to that of extracting gas from
reserves and supplying the national networks is significantly higher.
Currently this means that the average domestic tariff for supplying electricity (to
consumers) is nearly four times that of natural gas.
Therefore, the direct substitution of natural gas by renewably generated electricity
appears unaffordable to most customers.
How low carbon technology can mitigate
the additional cost of electricity to the consumer
A heat pump operates by extracting the freely available energy from a source which means
very little carbon is emitted into the natural environment.
The source is usually surrounding air or the ground – both external to the dwelling. Energy
extracted from the source reduces its temperature (surrounding air or within the ground)
and that energy is passed into the dwelling as heat.
To extract the freely available energy from the source the heat pump (machine) must
do work. That work is performed by compressors and fans inside the heat pump (which
consume electricity). The energy (electricity) consumed by the heat pump (work done
by the machine) is a fraction of that which is extracted (as heat) from the source (air or
ground).
Typically, a heat pump will transfer three to four times the energy (heat) than that
(electricity) which it consumes. This is known as the co-efficient of performance (COP).
For example, a heat pump operating at a COP of 3 will transfer three times as much energy
than it will consume.
Ready for the future. Today.
8
9
