Module 7 webinar questions

[Ben Gorman]

When considering heating for new-build apartments what issues should be considered when choosing between a whole-building system or individual heaters/boilers in each apartment? And how would you select the most appropriate system?

I am aware that individual heating in each apartment will tend to be done using electricity, usually because developers don’t want the expense of supplying gas to each apartment. Yet the carbon penalty for electricity would seem to favour the whole-building gas approach but with this system heat is wasted in pipes through the building.

[David Olivier]

London requires new flats to have a CHP system, in practice usually gas-fired.

There’s a separate district heating and cooling discussion group I belong to, not part of the AECB. But if you’re outside London, as I am, this may be of limited applicability to you as there may be little support for the idea.

However, a central system of some kind would seem to be convertible to anything later, i.e. any source of heat. Electric systems, one per flat, certainly aren’t and there’s some concern about the peak in electricity demand in future winters like 2009-10, 2010-11. Gas and hot water can easily be stored, electricity can’t.

[Frances Crick]

Centenham Borough Homes are considering the use of combined ground loop GSHP with individual heat pump unit in each property (for refurb on sheltered housing – small flats)- gets commercial RHI (as combined ground loop) but no heat metering as heat pumps are run electrically (on individual consumer unit) in each property (would include HW tank in each property) or if minimal HW use, i.e. only electric shower and HW for kitchen sink/bathroom basin then consider point of use electric water heater with heat pump for heating only

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