F E AT U R E | H E AT I N G A N D CO O L I N G
The perfect balance As temperatures continue to fluctuate, is taking a multitechnological approach to heating and cooling the only way to meet the government’s net-zero target?
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espite the naysayers it’s clear that global warming is becoming a big issue for the world as temperatures soar to uncomfortable levels. As the mercury rises, so too does the temperature inside buildings, which can be extremely dangerous for vulnerable people. The fact that UK housing stock is the oldest in Europe means that they are amongst the quickest to heat up and they struggle to maintain a comfortable temperature. Within Britain there is some disparity between houses in the north and south, with English homes heating up by 4.7°C, on average, after three hours,
“TABS can produce up to 80% less operational carbon dioxide than a traditional HVAC system”
whereas Scottish home temperatures rise by 5.6°C in the same conditions. The most common solution is air conditioning, but the more people use this to cool their homes, the greater the UK’s energy consumption. This will in turn put huge demand on the energy grid. In fact, according to a report from Rethink Energy, global utilities will need to lay on more than 1,500 TWh in fresh power resources – collectively about the same amount of electricity that India supplies to its 1 billion citizens. It’s not just hot summers that need to be considered when it comes to keeping the inside of buildings a comfortable temperature. As we experience more fluctuations through the winter months, keeping homes warm can be an issue for many buildings too. Thinking ahead The fact that around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint comes from buildings
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means it’s vital that innovative systems are introduced to help decarbonise the UK. Although the government has unveiled plans to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 to improve buildings’ performance, there still needs to be a partnering with other technologies to meet zero emissions targets. While solutions such as heat pumps and air conditioning are good options for existing buildings, Thermally Activated Building Structures (TABS) are the way forward for new builds, according to REHAU Building Solutions. “TABS fits the bill here – their larger surface areas mean cooler water temperatures can be used to distribute heat, making structures using the system ideal for integration with low-temperature heat pumps,” explains Franz Huelle, head of technical at REHAU Building Solutions. “Alongside this, TABS reduce the demand for cooling at warmer times as heat is continually regulated throughout the day.
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