Tackling Global Warming - Why COP26 Matters

Tackling Global Warming – Why COP26 Matters

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Boris Johnson took to the stage last week to announce we must “grow up” as a species at the UN General Assembly. The UK Prime Minister spoke on how we must look towards greener living for the Glasgow Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 summit. This congregation, it is hoped, will build upon the Paris accord that, in 2015, for the first time saw a singular agreement for tackling global warming and cutting greenhouse-gas emissions.

Why is COP26 So Important?

COP26 will see representation from 200 countries to present plans to cut emissions by 2030 to keep global warming “well below” the Paris established 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The ultimate goal for tackling global warming is to aim for 1.5°C with Net Zero emissions by 2050 to avoid greater climate catastrophe by the end of the century.

Johnson observed that this is our “turning point” to do better and “that means we need to pledge collectively to achieve carbon neutrality – net zero – by the middle of the century.” He expressed clearly the urgency in the actions needed to be taken to, not only, save ourselves but the many species which live on this Earth.

Those countries attending are expected to formally announce their plans for reducing emissions and tackling global warming in the coming weeks prior to the commencement of the summit, with more announcements expected during the two weeks of planned talks.

The US has announced a major investment in green initiatives with an $11.4bn per annum contribution in climate finance and China this week has announced plans to cease construction of overseas coal plants. Though generally welcomed, the latter move currently fails to address the use of domestic coal-fired plants, one of the easiest ways for green gains to be quickly achieved at a national level.

The Real Challenge of “Going Green”

With coal removed, the challenge of tackling global warming really sets in. The UK’s carbon budgets are well known to now be off track, and the Green Alliance has stated current plans will deliver less than a quarter of the cuts needed to meet the UK’s aggressive 2030 climate goal – intended to cut 78% of emissions from a 1990 baseline by 2035. The target also fails to account for emissions created abroad in the process of manufacturing goods bought in the UK. This issue of embedded carbon in the supply chain is a complex and difficult challenge that will no doubt be brought to bear on commercial organisations already facing ESOS audits and SECR reporting, and is why open, large scale support for COP26 from the likes of China is so critical.

Here in the UK, the government’s promise to put effective policies in place has been slow to materialise. Disagreement over the future of gas boilers and wider green funding has held up key announcements that should be delineating much-needed guidance for a commercial sector facing immense change and considerable capital and operational outlay if Net Zero is to be realised.

An End to Coal Power?

There is, however, a cautious sense of progress, with great attention being turned to the meeting in Rome late in October of the G20 nations.  Together these are responsible for 80% of current global emissions. If these nations can agree to cease the use of coal, COP26 has the potential to be one of the most decisive events since Paris if it can lead to a speeding up of the global phasing out of coal power. Then the real work starts. Additional agreements on the reduction of deforestation, a more rapid switch to electric vehicles (EVs) and wider protection from the impact of climatic extremes are all expected to be key objectives.

Johnson declared how these opportunities to become greener are not out of reach as “We have the technology: we have the choice before us.”

Striking a Balance When Heating Commercial Buildings

From the commercial perspective, Adveco is one of the leading proponents of how technology can be best applied when tackling global warming by supporting a more sustainable approach, particularly for the delivery of business-critical hot water. We recognise the importance of excluding fossil fuels from future commercial systems and advocate all-electric systems for new builds. We also understand the implicit costs and difficulties of retrofit and replacement of systems throughout the thousands of legacy commercial buildings that define the UK’s urban landscape. For this reason, we also strongly support the continued use of gas, but within a hybrid approach to provide cost-effective, lower carbon applications that remain future-ready for next-generation Net Zero technologies, and in particular Hydrogen mixes for commercial hot water & heating.

Adveco commercial hot water and heating. Speak to Adveco about tackling global warming through efficient, low-carbon commercial hot water and heating systems (For schools, hospitals and care homes too!)

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Schools heating Sustainability solutions from Adveco

Finding the Answer to Schools Sustainability

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The Government’s drive toward Net Zero and its “green industrial revolution”, last November gave a clear message that publicly funded organisations would be expected to be leading the charge when it came to demonstrating sustainable developments. The Department for Education (DfE) has already increased focus on property-related efficiency, and the expectation is this will only increase if schools sustainability is to be delivered across their estates.

But understanding how a school property’s assets contribute to overall performance, and how individual assets perform against technical criteria for sustainability has never been more challenging for estate managers.

The complex technical issues that surround commercial-grade domestic hot water (DHW) and heating applications within schools demand strategic, real-world understanding. Not only are there physical limitations when it comes to technologies on offer, but there are also considerable variances in capital expense and ongoing operational costs that without doubt contribute considerably to the annual costs of running a school. That is a critical issue for authorities and academies that need to balance the demands of change within often restrictive budgets.

The challenge of meeting schools sustainability goals

For education sites that typically exhibit a large DHW load, there remains a strong argument for employing gas-fired water heating. And, just as electricity is becoming greener, so too can the gaseous fuels when blended with hydrogen and other synthetic fuels. With publicly funded organisations increasingly being mandated to demonstrate clear and real investment in sustainable and low carbon technology schools face a complex, real-world and political challenge.

Far too often, school hot water systems suffer from poor application design where a lack of understanding of different types of hot water system leaves systems oversized to prevent perceived hot water problems. Inefficient and less environmentally friendly, such systems are more costly to build and operate for their entire lifespan. This can be further exacerbated by the complexities of introducing Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) – the current clear preference of the Government – and Solar Thermal systems.

With ASHPs offering greater efficiencies in low-temperature systems, the high-temperature demands of domestic hot water (DHW) for school applications can be a challenge. It is recommended to calculate emissions at a working water temperature from the ASHP of 55°C, this is then hot enough to provide realistic levels of preheat for a commercial DHW system. Schools’ applications using heat pumps are going to be complex and, when compared to gas-fired alternatives, are going to have higher up-front and operational costs. Offsetting these additional investments though are new efficiencies and sustainability that reduce CO₂ emissions.

Now is also a good time to reconsider the integration of a solar thermal system as part of the premises. Not only a proven and extremely reliable technology, for the past 15 years solar thermal has offered a clear path to reducing CO₂ emissions for sites that rely on large amounts of hot water.

Solar Thermal provides an effective way to offset the new financial burden that comes from moving from gas to currently far more expensive electricity. A ten-year return on investment becomes very achievable, and, with zero emissions, the undisputed carbon and cost savings make this technology increasingly more viable.

Solar has always been used as a preheat with the coldest water possible to maximise the efficiency and output: this gives maximum free heat with no carbon emissions. But there is also a good case now for using solar thermal with heat pumps and electric if set up as a mid-heating system which can lower both carbon and cost.

A Simple Choice

For the time being, schools looking to decarbonise their systems have a simple choice, use either solar thermal or ASHP to preheat water, and gas or direct electric as after heating. By using preheat you can offset up to 75% of a systems energy demands and thereby actively reduce carbon emissions. All these technologies can be made to work together, but for new builds, the expectation will be to fit a heat pump and direct electric system. For pre-existing systems that use gas then the additional use of solar thermal is recommended. This also has the advantage of retaining gas-based system infrastructure, so the building has the option, at a later date, to evolve its use to green gas alternatives. So if you already use gas on-site do not feel pressured into removing it quite yet.

None of the above is a single, all-encompassing answer for schools seeking to achieve Net Zero, but when used together they can provide reliable, business-critical hot water and heating systems that deliver value for capital investment, exhibit lower ownership costs over their lifetime and will help to meet current sustainability targets. They also provide a clear path for the integration of new technologies, such as high-temperature heat pumps and hydrogen ready appliances which will ultimately help to deliver Net Zero by 2050.

At Adveco, our dedicated application design team provide accurate, bespoke sizing, for both new build and refurbishment projects. Once correctly sized, we can recommend, supply, commission, and service the optimal appliances whether they be gas, electric or a mixed hybrid approach that incorporates solar thermal, heat pumps and heat recovery systems. This is the best way of ensuring schools hot water demands are met in the most cost-effective and sustainable manner.

Read more about how Adveco can help achieve schools sustainability

Adveco commercial hot water and heating. Speak to Adveco about finding the answer to schools sustainability.

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Green Heat Network Fund Set to Open to Applicants in 2022

Green Heat Network Fund Set to Open to Applicants in 2022

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The Government has released initial details of its Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) which will open to applicants in England from April 2022 and is anticipated to run until 2025, incentivising new and existing heat networks to move away from high-carbon sources.

With decarbonising heat set as a key part of the Government’s heat and buildings strategy, the new fund is intended to replace the existing Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) that has been available since 2018.

The £270 million GHNF will only support low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps, solar and heat recovery in the rollout of the next generation of heat networks. The intent is to help cut carbon emissions from domestic and commercial building heating – which accounts for 21% of the UK total – making it one of the country’s largest carbon emissions sources.

Heat networks, supplying heat to buildings from a central source, are intended to provide large-scale renewable and recovered heat. The GHNF will only support applications if they include low-carbon heat-generating technologies, such as heat pumps and waste heat with the aim of incentivising and kick-starting the demand for heat pumps as part of a wider mix of low-carbon heating options.

Although heat networks currently meet approximately 2% of the overall UK demand for heating, the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has estimated that, with continued support, they could provide 18% by 2050.

The Green Heat Network Fund is expected to fund the delivery of an estimated 10.3Mt of total carbon savings by 2050.

The responses to the GHNF can be read here.

Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) set to open up in 2022 - Adveco. Adveco provide expertise in and supply low-carbon commercial hot water and heating systems.

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What you Need to Know About Net Zero Now

What you Need to Know About Net Zero Now

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What is “Net Zero”?

With greenhouse gases predicted to reach record highs by 2023 and no sign of slowing, the warnings of the impact of global warming and climate crisis are increasingly becoming apparent to all.  As UN nations converge to address the fundamental issues of climate change, it has become a “front and centre” issue for UK businesses.

In 2008 the UK Government introduced the Climate Change Act legislating for change to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and then in 2019, increased the commitment to a 100% reduction which has come to be known as “Net Zero”.

“Net Zero” means that any emissions are balanced by absorbing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. The Government’s current aggressive response is to drive positive movement across every sector to meet these goals, with a focus on domestic, commercial, transport, agriculture, and industrial usage across the UK.

The effects of Greenhouse gases

As we draw closer to 2023, the effects of global warming are undeniably present, with prior predictions becoming reality — loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and extremes of weather with heavier rainfall and flooding, plus longer, more intense heat waves leading to drought and wildfires.

The world was amazed by the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on the environment as the global pause rapidly led to positive improvements, surprising even scientists at how we can truly meet our 0% emissions goals and begin to save our planet by 2050.

How can we meet these goals?

The possibilities of making these goals achievable are very high, and we can all make the smaller changes necessary to do so. However, change for the commercial sector comes with added complexity but also greater rewards. Heating and hot water have long been recognised as key contributors to emissions from across the built environment. They of course are also rightly regarded as business-critical services.  Decreasing the use of fossil fuels to meet the “Net Zero” goal seems obvious, and “simply” changing to a more sustainable energy system can considerably reduce emissions. But there are other key business considerations to take into consideration, with everything from running costs to the capital investment required to modernise both building fabric and systems high on the agenda. Building regulations also play a major role in decision making, and there remains considerable confusion over what “green” technologies should be adopted and when…

Our name is derived from “Advantage Eco”, so it is fair to assume we firmly believe in the need for decarbonisation and the drive to attain Net Zero across the commercial environment before the 2050 deadline. That said, we are also 50-year adherents of the value of deploying gas in commercial hot water applications. This is because of the necessary high temperatures required for safe operation and the cost-effective operation it offers businesses. Like the rest of the UK’s gas-based service market, we have high hopes for the eventual introduction of green hydrogen-based alternatives to fossil gas, with potentially a much lower impact on existing infrastructure and simpler, more cost-effective like for like appliance replacement.

But we also recognize the limitations of a hydrogen-centric viewpoint, not least in terms of achieving national distribution on the scale currently expected by gas users. So, there must be real-world alternatives in play now if achieving Net Zero is going to become a commercial reality. From the proven capabilities of solar thermal systems supporting either gas or direct electric to low carbon air to waterside heat pumps and direct electric heating, there are clear paths of evolution open to organisations seeking to move onto the path to Net Zero. Our experience as a specialist creator of commercial hot water systems can help you as an organisation redefine the way your buildings consume energy and reduce your generation of harmful emissions without impacting critical offerings that define daily operation and the comfort and safety of staff and customers alike.

Talk to Adveco today about how our team can help design hot water and heating applications that remain cost-effective to build and operate for a better future.

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Adveco HVR Awards finalist 2021

Adveco Named Double Finalist in 2021 HVR Awards

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  • Packaged e32 Hot Water Systems named finalist in the HVR 2021 Commercial Heating Product of the Year category
  • FPI32 named finalist in the HVR 2021 Heat Pump Product of the Year category

Hot water and heating specialist Adveco is proud to announce it has been named a finalist in two key categories in the 2021 Heating & Ventilation Review (HVR) Awards. Adveco’s Packaged e32 Hot Water Systems has been named a finalist in the HVR 2021 Commercial Heating Product of the Year category, while the FPi32 range of air source heat pumps (ASHP) was named a finalist in the Heat Pump Product of the Year category.

The HVR Awards celebrate the products, brands, businesses and people that have led the way with their innovation and unrivalled levels of excellence, inducting them into the prestigious HVR Awards ‘Hall of Flame’.

Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco, said:

“Both products take full advantage of using R32 refrigerant to take us toward responsible, sustainable systems that deliver business-critical hot water without harming the environment.”

The Adveco FPi32 is a range of compact monobloc design 6, 9 & 12 kW air to water heat pumps providing hot water at 55°C, or higher in hybrid systems. The FPi32 range leverages R32 refrigerant to enhance year-round efficiency (COP as high as 5.23) while reducing the global warming potential (GWP), thereby lowing environmental impact.

The FPi32-9’s compact monobloc form factor also makes it perfect for integration into Adveco’s Packaged e32-Hot Water System.  A complete, highly efficient, low carbon, all-electric packaged water heating system that uses the FPi32-9 to provide preheat for reliable high-temperature water supplied in a convenient GRP housing.

The air to water heat pump provides the system preheat from 10°C to 50°C, supplying 70% of the DHW load. Offsetting 70% of the energy requirement means the Packaged e32-Hot Water System can demonstrate a 47% reduction in energy demands and CO² emissions for the same output of 500,000 litres of hot water each year when compared with a similar direct electric-only system. The reduced energy demand also means operational savings can be added to the capital savings secured during the design, supply, and installation phases.

The system is also ground-breaking in the application of a completely new specification that lowers the heat intensity, without detrimental effect to the demands for hot water, meaning the Packaged e32-Hot Water System is also more resistant to scale, reducing maintenance demands.

“By unifying innovative, low carbon technology with excellence in application design, all provisioned under an offsite construction model, we can bring a wealth of new advantages for consultants, contractors, installers and owner-operators. FPi32 and our pre-sized e32-Hot Water System not only go a long way towards helping businesses meet carbon targets this decade but also help keep running costs low,”

adds Bill.

The 2021 HVR Awards winners will be announced in a virtual presentation on Oct 7th. For more details visit the HVR Awards website.

Adveco commercial heating and hot water systems.Speak to Adveco for all your commercial hot water and air source heat pump requirements. packaged plant rooms. or even our solar thermal solutions.

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