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UN Issues Clarion Call Against Climate Change

This week the UN released its IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) summarising the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The findings of this new UN report are unequivocal, “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health, and the choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years.”

The current status of global warming is clearly delineated in the report, human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with the global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850–1900 in 2011–2020. Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.

The cumulative effect of well-mixed greenhouses gases (GHGs), especially CO₂ emissions, contributed to global warming of 1.0°C–2.0°C between 1850 and 2019, with 42% of these emissions occurring subsequent to 1990. The report argues with ‘high confidence’ that this has driven widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere. Human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. This has led to widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people, with vulnerable communities, who have historically contributed the least to climate change, disproportionately affected.

Extent of effect on future generation of global warming source UN IPCC 2023

Extent of effect on future generation of global warming source UN IPCC 2023

Progress & Challenges

Most observed adaptation responses are fragmented, incremental, sector-specific and unequally distributed across regions. Despite some progress in planning and implementation, adaptation gaps exist and will continue to grow at current rates of implementation. In some ecosystems and regions soft limits to adaptation, especially in small-scale farming and low-lying coastal regions have been reached, whilst some tropical, coastal, polar and mountain ecosystems already exhibit hard limits. Current global financial flows for adaptation are insufficient for, and constrain the implementation of adaptation options, especially in developing countries.

UN chief Antonio Guterres says this report on climate change is a “survival guide for humanity”. Despite the consistent expansion of policies and laws addressing mitigation, global GHG emissions in 2030, implied by nationally determined contributions (NDCs) announced by October 2021, make it likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century and make it harder to limit warming below 2°C. At least 18 countries have sustained absolute production-based GHG and consumption-based CO2 reductions for longer than 10 years, but these reductions have only partly offset global emissions growth. This means there are gaps between projected emissions from implemented policies and those from NDCs, exacerbated by finance which falls short of the levels needed to meet climate goals across all sectors and regions.

Future of Climate Change

The UN report is clear on the future of climate change, continued greenhouse gas emissions will lead to increasing global warming with the best estimate of reaching 1.5°C in the near term in considered scenarios and modelled pathways.

Risks and projected adverse impacts and related losses and damages from climate change will escalate with every increment of global warming. With further warming, climate change risks will become increasingly complex and more difficult to manage. Multiple climatic and non-climatic risk drivers will interact, resulting in compounding overall risks that cascade across sectors and regions. As a result, the UN assessed that high risks now occur at lower global warming levels.

Daily Temperature Extremes Due To Global Warming Level above 1850 1900

Daily Temperature Extremes Due To Global Warming Level above 1850 1900

Some future changes are unavoidable and/or irreversible but can be limited by deep, rapid and sustained global greenhouse gas emissions reduction. This would lead to a discernible slowdown in global warming within around two decades, and also to discernible changes in atmospheric composition within a few years. The likelihood of abrupt and/or irreversible changes increases with higher global warming levels. Similarly, the probability of low-likelihood outcomes associated with potentially very large adverse impacts increases with higher global warming levels.

Clean energy and sustainable hot water technology, as promoted by Adveco, can be exploited to help avoid the growing climate disaster as a part of wider decarbonisation strategies. But organisations need to be acting now. The UN report is clear that the options that are feasible and effective today will become constrained and less effective with increasing global warming. With increasing global warming, losses and damages will increase and additional human and natural systems will reach adaptation limits.

To avoid this on a global scale requires “flexible, multi-sectoral, inclusive, long-term planning and implementation of adaptation actions.” Limiting human-caused global warming requires net zero CO2 emissions. Cumulative carbon emissions until the time of reaching net-zero CO2 emissions and the level of greenhouse gas emission reductions this decade largely determine whether warming can be limited to 1.5°C or 2°C. Projected CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure without additional abatement would exceed the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C (50%). All global modelled pathways that limit warming to 1.5°C (>50%) with no or limited overshoot, and those that limit warming to 2°C (>67%), involve rapid and deep and, in most cases, immediate greenhouse gas emissions reductions in all sectors this decade. Global net zero CO2 emissions are reached for these pathway categories, in the early 2050s and around the early 2070s, respectively.

If emissions are not curtailed, there is a very real threat of overshooting the target global temperature, this overshoot would entail adverse impacts, some irreversible. The higher the magnitude and the longer the duration of an overshoot, the more ecosystems and societies are exposed to greater and more widespread changes in climatic impact-drivers, increasing risks for many natural and human systems.

Projected Net Global Greehnouse Gas Emissions

Projected Net Global Greehnouse Gas Emissions

This is why it is so important that organisations are supported to a greater extent through government policy and financial support to accelerate decarbonisation strategies and employ changes across the built estate if, as a nation, the UK is to achieve net zero by 205. The impacts of overshooting this deadline are clear.

A hydrogen future for commercial hot water systems

Our Hydrogen Future?

Adveco looks at a hydrogen future for the commercial heating and hot water industry. The commercial heating and hot water industry is currently responsible for a significant portion of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. With the UK government committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, there is an urgent need to find low-carbon alternatives to traditional fossil fuel-based heating systems. One potential solution that has gained a lot of attention in recent years is hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a versatile, clean-burning fuel that produces only water and heat when burned. It has the potential to play a key role in the transition to a low-carbon economy, particularly in industries that are currently reliant on fossil fuels, such as the commercial heating and hot water sector.

The UK government has recognized the potential of a hydrogen future in this sector and has set out a plan to develop a hydrogen economy in the country. In its Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the government committed to investing £500 million in hydrogen production and infrastructure over the next five years.

One of the key advantages of a hydrogen future in the commercial heating and hot water industry is its versatility. It can be used to fuel a range of different heating systems, including water heaters & boilers. This means that it can be used to replace existing fossil fuel-based systems without the need for major infrastructure changes.

There are already a number of hydrogen heating trials underway in the UK. For example, in 2020, a hydrogen-powered boiler was installed in a commercial building in Northumberland as part of a pilot project. The boiler was able to provide heating and hot water for the building using hydrogen produced from renewable sources.

Another advantage of hydrogen is that it can be produced using a range of different methods, including electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. This means that it has the potential to be a truly green fuel, with no emissions produced during the production process or its subsequent burning as a fuel.

One of the biggest perceived challenges of net zero is the need for infrastructure to store and transport green energy. Despite hydrogen having a lower energy density than natural gas, which means that it requires more storage space and specialised transport infrastructure, the existing gas grid is ready-made with some 90,000 miles of pipes that can store hydrogen. Concerns over leaks and danger of ignition are overstated. A large proportion of the gas grid pipework has already been upgraded with MDPE plastic pipes. This rectifies fears over leakage, as the new resistant pipework has been selected for its low-pressure loss, high compression strength, and low permeability to liquids.

Should there be a leak, hydrogen disperses rapidly and safely into the atmosphere with no effect on global warming. Accidental ignition is only really possible in a completely sealed environment and at high hydrogen density which would become quickly apparent to anyone in the room before levels would be high enough to ignite.

Despite its many advantages, there are still some challenges that need to be overcome before a hydrogen future can become a widespread option in the commercial heating and hot water industry. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the cost of hydrogen production. While the cost of producing hydrogen using renewable energy sources is falling, it is still more expensive than producing natural gas. But hydrogen has the advantage of being a very efficient fuel. When burned, it produces around three times as much heat as natural gas, which means that less fuel is needed to achieve the same level of heating. This not only reduces emissions but helps offset the initial production costs of hydrogen, though likely to cost around 50% more than natural gas, this makes it a realistic and affordable alternative to higher-cost electricity-only systems for businesses seeking to achieve net zero before 2050. The hope is that the UK government’s commitment to investing in hydrogen production and infrastructure should help to bring down costs over time.

A proposed hydrogen future has the potential to play a significant role in the UK commercial heating and hot water industry in the coming years. Its versatility, efficiency, and potential for green production make it an attractive option for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint and manage energy costs. While there are still some challenges to be overcome, the UK government’s commitment to investing in hydrogen should help to accelerate its development and deployment in this sector over the course of the coming decade.

Adveco ADplus & AD water heater ranges and MD boiler ranges are already capable of accepting a 20% Hydrogen blend without requiring any alteration. Discover more about our 20% hydrogen blend-ready products here.

Adveco live metering service

Adveco’s Live Metering Service for Gas to Electric Hot Water Replacement

  • Live hot water system metering service for commercial buildings
  • Avoid costly investment in oversized design when replacing gas with electricity
  • Full data analysis and report generation for optimal replacement system recommendation

Commercial hot water specialist Adveco, announces the launch of its Live Metering service of domestic hot water (DHW) systems for commercial properties intending to replace legacy gas systems with more sustainable electric technologies.

The Live Metering service from Adveco is a simple-to-install, non-invasive onsite process that generates consistent six-minute data 24 hours per day from existing hot water systems to accurately understand actual usage, including critical peak demands and their profile shape.  Adveco’s specialist engineers will visit the site, providing an overall visual assessment, fit the meters and monitor for an agreed period, typically a month before returning to remove the equipment. The data will then be processed, and a report generated with design recommendations for a replacement system that meets the exact needs of the building.

Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco, said:

“The most consistent issue we see in commercial hot water systems is oversizing, whether through lack of understanding of application design or concerns over providing suitable backup to ensure system continuity.

The result of oversizing is always the same, unnecessary capital costs for system supply, installation and ongoing excess operational costs associated with higher energy demands and therefore greater carbon emissions.

As companies seek to adopt greener building operations, replacing old gas-fired systems with like-for-like electric is another guaranteed way to gain an oversized system.

If the replacement system is oversized, operational costs climb as the price of electricity per kW remains high and should demands exceed a building’s available amperage of electrical supply, project installation costs will soar, or even stall the project. This can best be avoided by understanding your actual hot water demands and designing the replacement to meet those specific needs, this is why accurate data is so valuable.”

Data collected with Adveco’s Live Metering Service has already enabled organisations to avoid excess capital costs whilst reducing emissions in line with decarbonisation strategies. It has demonstrated on one site, that a 60 kW gas-fired hot water system can be directly replaced by a system based around a 12 kW ARDENT electric boiler and a cylinder optimised to meet storage requirements reducing carbon emissions by 2800 kg per annum.  On another site the demands of a system operating two 50kW gas-fired water heaters could be serviced by a 24kW electric water heater and heat pump supplying the preheat, reducing emissions by 5100 kg per annum. With both replacement designs rated at 120% they provide more than enough storage capacity to meet unexpected peak demands.  The benefits will increase over time as the carbon emissions are expected to continue to fall as grid electricity supplies continue to decarbonise in the future.

By optimising the use of air source heat pumps, electric boilers and hot water cylinders, not only are capital investments reduced, but so too is the system size and complexity, making for easier installation and the potential to recover valuable plant room space.

Should a business opt to purchase the recommended replacement system from Adveco they will receive a 50% refund on the cost of implementing the initial Live Metering service. Talk to Adveco or your regional sales representative about pricing and booking metering at your property.


Adveco commercial hot water.Adveco are the UK specialists in commercial hot water systems. For specific details of the products and services in this article, you can read more about our commercial electric boilers and the importance of the correct application design (Sizing).

Alternatively, call us direct on 01252 551 540

Commercial hot water disaster recover.

Crisis Response – Replacing A Destroyed Hot Water System

True crisis response for domestic hot water (DHW) systems should be a rarity. Most refurbishments for commercial properties are well-planned. Regular annual maintenance ensures consistent operational service and helps avoid appliance failures, but should that occur, backup systems are in place to guarantee demands continue to be met whilst repairs or replacement takes place.

There are however rare occasions when a property is impacted by an event that can have large-scale implications on the building’s services which demand a crisis response. In September 2022, Adveco’s engineers were called in to assess flood damage to a customer’s DHW system. Flooding can be highly destructive to electrical components, so appliances will locate controls and electronics high on a unit to protect operation. In this case, the customer was using three AO Smith BFC 120 fully room-sealed gas-fired condensing high-efficiency storage water heaters operating low-maintenance powered anodes, necessary as the site was in Liverpool where soft water conditions prove aggressive to glass-lined appliances.  More than two meters tall, the BFC could typically survive a certain amount of flood damage.

In this case, the flooding was localised to the plant room. The float valve on the water tank feed booster had failed, jamming open, and causing the tank to overflow. The failure, unfortunately, occurred on the weekend when the office building was shut, leaving water to flood unchecked into the plant room for almost 48 hours. The result was catastrophic, with the basement plant room filling and flooding out into ground-floor corridors.

BFC Cyclone water heater in flood damaged plant room

It became rapidly clear that the entire plant room, the BFCs, a full buildings management system (BMS) panel and six 400 kW boilers for the building’s space heating would be unrecoverable. With the insurance claim being processed, the customer requested a like-for-like replacement, expressing a desire to retain gas, given the relatively high daily demands for hot water and the lower operational costs compared to an all-electric replacement.

Adveco put an immediate crisis response into place, reassessing the building’s DHW demands, and proposing a modernised system designed around Adveco’s ADplus water heaters that would improve efficiency, be more resilient to the corrosive nature of soft water, offer greater built-in redundancy and would easily integrate into the buildings BMS system.

Adveco specified three ADplus 115 appliances. These commercial instantaneous water heaters feature high-power gas-fired condensing water heating featuring an integrated 120-litre stainless steel water storage tank for continuous and on-demand hot water (DHW).

With a continuous run of titanium-stabilised stainless-steel construction, the heat exchangers are highly resilient; able to maintain direct contact with chlorinated mains water even in naturally soft water areas, such as Liverpool, where the corrosive nature of mains water can rapidly damage other water heaters. The storage tank is additionally provided with electronic anodic protection.

The patented Fecralloy premix gas burner provides heat, offering a high modulation ratio for excellent functionality at extremely high temperatures whilst also offering maximum efficiency even during periods of low demand. This helps make the ADplus 115 perfect for the needs of this large office building, ADplus heats what is necessary, with no ignition for smaller withdrawals providing considerable energy savings. When heat is required, ADplus boasts high combustion efficiency with condensing technology providing up to 30% savings in fuel consumption. With a consistently balanced air/gas ratio in each point of turndown, the ADplus 115 is not only more cost-effective, it actively reduces harmful NOₓ and CO for ultra-low emissions. The appliances are also 20% hydrogen blend ready, meaning they can burn lower carbon gas blends fed directly from the grid. This is expected to begin rolling out as soon as 2024, and combined with the reduced emissions, the customer has gained a more eco-friendly DHW system.

The ADplus 115 models also feature multiple integrated heat exchangers. This offers load balancing for optimal long-life operation and inbuilt redundancy guaranteeing continuity of service which proved highly attractive to the customer given the circumstances of the refurbishment.

Finally, it was necessary for the replacement appliances to integrate with the property’s BMS system. The ADplus units feature an inbuilt controller with LCD display that ensures full temperature control, plus cascade control for the three units and a maintenance self-check of primary components and functions, 0-10 input, MODBUS communication and alarm output for seamless system integration.

ADplus water heater in disaster recovery projectWith the insurance resolved, Adveco was able to rapidly supply the ADplus units per the new design for installation. Adveco engineers then returned to the site in the new year to assess the installation and commission the system for safe operation. Despite the unplanned nature of the project, Adveco’s swift crisis response allowed the customer to rapidly secured a new, highly efficient replacement that will serve the building well into the late 2030’s giving the organisation further options in the future as it considers additional investments in lower carbon and fully sustainable systems for its heating and hot water needs.

Adveco Newsletter, March 2023.

Read The Adveco March 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to the Adveco March 2023 newsletter covering issues relating to your low-carbon strategies, including hard and soft water that can plague migration to more sustainable electric alternatives to gas-fired water heating, a crucial role for hot water cylinders and a new service offering to support accurate sizing and better planning when reducing carbon.

Click here to read the Adveco March 2023 Newsletter