• I think it’ll be hydrogen for a start, the manufacturers are already having the boilers ready for a hydrogen blend in the gas.

    The issue with hydrogen is it’s expensive as fuck to make.

    ASHP works great in a new super insulated house but for a retrofit I’d say it’s negligible because of the costs associated with it.

  • An important question is whether the available evidence supports a case for heating homes with
    hydrogen. This paper reviews independent analyses on the use of hydrogen for space and how
    water heating. Independent in this context is defined as “not carried out by or on behalf of a
    specific industry (e.g. gas, oil, electricity, heat pumps, boiler manufacturers)”. The review
    includes a total of 32 studies carried out at international, regional, national, state and city-level
    by a wide range of different organisations including universities, research institutes, intergovernmental organisations such as the IPCC2 and the IEA1 and consulting firms. Industry-
    funded studies have been excluded because such studies are often carried out on behalf of industry groups in order to support a position that suits their vested interests. This is not to say
    that there are no robust analyses funded by industry but for the purpose of this review of
    independent evidence they have been excluded.
    The evidence assessment shows that the widespread use of hydrogen for heating is not supported
    by any of the 32 studies identified in this review. Instead, existing independent research so far
    suggests that, compared to other alternatives such as heat pumps, solar thermal and district heating, hydrogen use for domestic heating is less economic, less efficient, more resource intensive, and associated with larger environmental impacts
    .

    Source - http://www.janrosenow.com/uploads/4/7/1/2/4712328/is_heating_homes_with_hydrogen_all_but_a_pipe_dream_final.pdfo

  • As I said, the problem with hydrogen is its expensive to produce which is the issue although there is some big manufacturers running trials in england using hydrogen. So if manufacturers are looking to put money into something it might happen.

    Who knows what will happen, district heating and ASPH aren't the best alternatives for retro fitting that's the issue right now. But then again they told my dad when he was an apprentice that gas would run out in the 80's and were still using it, so who knows when it will end.

  • Instead, existing independent research so far suggests that, compared to other alternatives such as heat pumps, solar thermal and district heating, hydrogen use for domestic heating is less economic, less efficient, more resource intensive, and associated with larger environmental impacts.

    Sounds nailed on that this is the option we'll go for.

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