Consultation has recently ended (Febnruary 7th 2020) on proposals for "Future Homes Standards" amendments of the building regs in relation to Part L Conservation of Fuel and Power, and Part F Ventilation.
The whole gubbins is here
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... -dwellings
The bit about future low carbon heating for new homes is this bit
Heat pumps
We anticipate that the installation of heat pumps, particularly air-to-water and air-to-air heat pumps, will play a major role in delivering low carbon heat for homes built to the Future Homes Standard. Heat pumps come with the same low-carbon benefits as direct electric heating, but can deliver heat much more efficiently, which can help to overcome the affordability and grid-resource constraints associated with direct electric heating.
However, the installation of heat pumps in the UK is at a level much lower than that necessary to meet the ambition of the Future Homes Standard. The CCC states that there is a need to establish heat pumps as a mass market solution for low carbon heating and there are opportunities to start this with new build properties. The Committee also recommends that ‘new homes should not be connected to the gas grid from 2025’.
This has informed our thinking on how we should frame the Future Homes Standard.
Heat networks
Heat networks (sometimes referred to as district heating) are a distribution system that takes heat from a centralised source and delivers it to a number of differentbuildings. These heat networks also form an important part of our plan in the future of low carbon heat, in particular in cities and high-density areas. Heat networks can decarbonise more easily compared to most other heat sources because new technologies can be added to the system with little disruption to individual householders. They provide a unique opportunity to exploit larger scale, renewable and recovered heat sources that can’t be accessed at an individual building level. Heat networks also provide system benefits such as thermal storage and reducing the energy demand of the grid at peak times. It is estimated by the CCC that around 18% of UK heat will need to come from heat networks by 2050 if the UK is to meet its carbon targets cost-effectively.
We expect that heat networks will have a strong role to play in delivering low carbon heat to new homes in future.
Direct electric heating
We anticipate that direct electric heating will play a minor role in our plan for the future of low carbon heat. Direct electric heating is a well-established technology that produces heat through a near-100% efficient process, with no emissions at the point of use. Despite this, direct electric heaters can be very expensive to run, and if deployed at scale may have a significant effect on the national grid. Under some circumstances it may be an appropriate technology in applications where heat demand is particularly low, for instance where a home is built to the very highest fabric standards.
Regards NeilOther technologies
Other technologies, such as hydrogen, may have a role to play in heating systems of the future. However, for new homes, we anticipate that heat pumps and heat networks (and to a lesser extent direct electric heating) will be the principal means of producing low-carbon heat for buildings built to the Future Homes Standard.