The current favourite

It seems to me that with the adoption of the new Building Regulations next year, UK heating loads will be down to such a level that we should be re-thinking our heating strategy, as he suggests – but rather than adopt the water-based heating distribution, I would like to suggest that electricity is the way ahead.

If we look at the options as engineers, I think we would all agree that electricity provides the cheapest, cleanest (locally), most compact, most flexible, lowest maintenance and most controllable method of heating available. It also has the benefit of minimal mains losses and the fact that it is already produced for numerous reasons other than heating.

Furthermore, primary fuels, whatever they are, can be converted at large, central, high-quality, highly maintained and clean generation plants, rather than using many thousands of individual gas, oil or coal-burning appliances of varying performance.

Combine this with the fact that virtually all the upcoming green technologies – wave, tidal, wind generation, (nuclear?) – are electricity based and does it not suggest this is the fuel of the future?

One of our current residential projects, which is being designed to EcoHomes ‘excellent’ using the anticipated standards for Part L 2006, produces a typical heat loss of 2.5 kW for a two-bedroom flat. Is it viable, or sensible, to even consider heating dwellings like this with water-borne systems?

Perhaps the emphasis should now be on designing buildings to minimise heat losses (and heat gains) to such a level that building-mounted renewable electricity generation makes a significant contribution to the building’s needs.

Isn’t it time we accepted the fact that we should be using tried and trusted technologies such as nuclear (despite the arguments against this, the French appear to do it well), if only to provide the breathing space needed to develop and bring on-line upcoming ‘green’ bulk energy producers such as wave and tidal power?

I hope the above view continues the debate.