Neil Fitzsimons, Managing Director of Power On, looks at how housing associations and local authorities can deliver more sustainable, low-carbon solutions for high-rise residential developments using heat network technology.
The UK housing sector remains a significant contributor to carbon emissions. As the country progresses towards its ambitious net-zero targets, the pressure on housing associations and local authorities to deliver more sustainable, low-carbon solutions has never been greater. Regulatory changes such as the Future Homes Standard and Part L Building Regulations are shaping the future of the housing sector, particularly when it comes to high-rise residential developments.
Innovative heat network solutions can support housing associations and local authorities in meeting these regulatory requirements while delivering reliable, cost effective, low-carbon heating and hot water systems for high-rise buildings.
Future Homes Standard & Part L Building Regulations
The Future Homes Standard, set to be introduced in 2025 and come into full effect in 2027, mandates that new homes must achieve a 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to current building regulations. This includes high-rise residential projects, which must adopt energy-efficient, low-carbon technologies to comply with the standard.
Additionally, Part L of the Building Regulations requires that energy use in buildings is minimised, and any energy used comes from low-carbon sources. For housing associations and local authorities involved with high-rise residential buildings, achieving these standards demands careful planning and the integration of advanced heating solutions that go beyond traditional methods.
Scalable heat network solutions, designed to meet these stringent requirements, enable developments to stay ahead of regulatory changes while reducing the carbon footprint of the buildings.
Community Heat Hubs
Community Heat Hubs provide an efficient and sustainable solution for high-rise residential developments. By utilising large-scale air source heat pumps and thermal stores, Community Heat Hubs centralise the production of hot water and heating for an entire site. This approach eliminates the need for individual external heat pumps on every building, simplifying installation and maintenance while delivering numerous benefits:
Regulations
Community Heat Hubs meet the Future Homes Standard by reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one, ensuring compliance with the latest regulations for new builds. From 2026, Community Heat Hubs will be regulated by OFGEM, offering residents protection on price and service standards, ensuring long term value for high-rise residents.
Grid demand
By using thermal stores, Community Heat Hubs flatten the site’s grid demand, helping to address potential grid capacity issues in high-rise developments where energy demand can be significant.
Cost and space savings
Savings can be made with Community Heat Hubs by reducing the cost for developers and lowering customer bills by up to 20%, compared to traditional heating systems like individual air source heat pumps. Space savings can also be made in the apartments themselves by removing the need for a hot-water cylinder.
Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps
In addition to Community Heat Hubs, Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps are an innovative solution for high-rise buildings. These heat pumps extract naturally stored thermal energy from the ground to provide highly efficient heating, hot water, and cooling to each building. Each heat pump is installed inside the building, connected to a network of underground pipes, eliminating the need for bulky external units.
The compact nature of these systems makes them particularly suited to high-rise developments, where space for mechanical equipment is often limited and where the installation of external Air Source Heat Pumps may not be viable because of noise pollution. Furthermore, the shared infrastructure enables the system to scale to meet the demands of entire buildings or communities.
Comprehensive solutions
Comprehensive heating, hot water, and cooling is delivered in an integrated solution that also supports Part O Building Regulation compliance by including passive cooling systems.
Efficiency
The system uses the same grid electricity capacity as gas-heated homes, avoiding the risk of grid constraints—crucial for high-rise developments with large energy demands. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps also provide 30% more efficiency compared to individual air source heat pumps.
Compliance
Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps meet the Future Homes Standard, reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one, ensuring developers meet the requirements for energy-efficient new builds.
Networked Infrastructure for greater efficiency
Both Community Heat Hubs and Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps use networked infrastructure to generate and distribute heat efficiently. This approach not only provides higher overall efficiencies but also reduces transmission losses, ensuring a more reliable heat supply across the building or development.
The Building Safety Act 2022 underscores the importance of managing risks and maintaining safety in residential buildings, especially for high-rise projects. Heat network solutions prioritise safety through robust design, secure system integration, and compliance with the latest safety standards, aligning with both regulatory requirements and best practices for building safety.
Leading the way in high-rise decarbonisation
For housing associations and local authorities with high-rise residential projects, there is a requirement for a proven, scalable solution that delivers immediate decarbonisation results while addressing key regulatory concerns. Heat networks—whether through Community Heat Hubs or Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps—are the ideal solution for the complex energy demands of high-rise living.
how housing associations and local authorities can deliver more sustainable, low-carbon solutions for high-rise residential developments using heat network technology.
As the industry embraces the transition to a net-zero future, it must also ensure that high-rise residential developments not only comply with the Future Homes Standard and Part L but also deliver long-term value to both residents and developers. By adopting heat network technology, the sector is investing in a cleaner, more efficient, and cost-effective future for high-rise projects.