Domestic Demand-Side Response: The Challenge for Heat Pumps in a Future UK—Decarbonised Heating Market

Abstract

It has become a major point of interest and possible bone of contention that in a future neardecarbonised electricity network i.e. approaching 100% reduction in emissions by 2050, a low carbon space heating market will be enabled through the deployment of electricallydriven heat pumps. It is recognised that such a vision will place a significant extra burden on the existing electricity network. This will be especially true of the low voltage network at Distribution System Operator level e.g. 11kV or below but as such systems do not operate in isolation, challenges will also be seen at the Transmission Operator level as well. This may be further complicated by the perceived rapid deployment of Electric Vehicles well before 2050. Domestic and local Photovoltaic (PV) system deployment would provide electricity network relief when accompanied by energy storage. Thermal storage will satisfy thermal comfort needs when operating with heat pumps while battery deployment may operate with electric vehicles and/or electric heat pumps at times of local grid congestion. Such batteries and electric vehicles will also become demand side response units in their own right, the latter whether you are at home or not, with Vehicle-to-Grid technology. This paper will link these aspects and others into viable pathways to the decarbonisation of domestic space heating in the UK. It will highlight current progress and research gaps and offers some recent comparisons with Ireland where biogas may offer an alternative scenario.

Optimal Planning of Future District Heating Systems—A Review

“…This result is, however, dependent on the price of biomass resources. A similar result is found in [137], in which the application of industrial HPs in the UK is limited due to the gas price being lower than the electricity price.…”