Viessmann welcomes 6th Carbon Budget but calls for more focus on improving gas heating efficiency

Statement from Viessmann in response to the Climate Change Committee’s  6th Carbon Budget, announced December 9th 2020, from Darren McMahon, Viessmann marketing director.

We commend the ambition to reduce emissions in buildings to zero by 2050 in line with net zero legislation. The CCC report rightly notes that emissions reductions from heating have flatlined since 2015 and much further needs to be done to promote low carbon heating and efficiency investment in the 2020's.

We are particularly encouraged by the proposed mixed approach to decarbonising heat, under the balanced net zero pathway scenario set out in the CCC. If achieved, this would lead to the scaling up of the heat pump market to deliver 1 million installations by 2030, the expansion of heat networks and extended trials to test the viability of hydrogen for heat. This, accompanied by the proposed accelerated deployment of no-regret measures such as energy efficiency (over 1 million insulation measures proposed per year by 2025) can lead to a 34% reduction of emissions from heating by 2030. These objectives are entirely feasible and in line with Viessmann’s vision on heating decarbonisation in the UK which we have consistently advocated since 2015.

This evolution in the heating market is something that Viessmann encourages and prepares for through innovation and investment across electric &  hydrogen heating, efficiency and smart technology. We do recognise the need to phase out the installation of fossil fuel boilers, in advance of 2035, starting from new build by 2025 the latest. These changes are necessary to scale up the market for heat pumps, low-carbon heat networks and hydrogen heating - if hydrogen proves viable in the 2020's.

An area where the excellent CCC analysis could go further is in considering fully the opportunity to take  gas heating efficiency  further. Rather than focusing on mandating hydrogen ready boilers – a solution which although straightforward to produce will not generate efficiency or carbon gains in the absence of mass hydrogen supply - it is important to evaluate properly and not overlook technology that allows cost-effective use of gas (transitioning to hydrogen eventually) such as gas CHP for district heating and fuel cells for residential heating, which generate electricity locally to power  heat pumps  and EVs.