Tip #10: Keep an eye to the future – the hydrogen network is coming!.

The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, published in 2017, set out its plans for a low carbon future and hopes for substantial growth for the green economy of the UK in years to come.   One of the key areas of concern is how we will be heating our homes in the future.   There’s a commitment to low-cost, low-carbon power generation and improved building practices, both for the new developments and our existing housing stock – by plans for effective refro-fitting of heating systems -  in order make everything more energy efficient.   The new Boiler Plus legislation that formed part of the Clean Growth Strategy, is helping installers and the public become more aware of the appliances and energy they use and raises the profile of energy efficiency, but there are concerns that things aren’t moving quickly enough.   The roll-out of Smart Meters is picking up speed now problems with the first generation meters have been ironed out, so the situation is improving.   We’ll all soon be able to make better choices about our energy usage when we’re keyed into new smart technologies that will help us effectively control the environment we live in.  

Changes are coming

A major part of the Clean Growth Strategy links to research and development, with initiatives to reduce the costs of the hardware required for renewable energy production and developments in insulation.   Think how the new LED light bulbs have revolutionised the way we light our homes and businesses... It’s exciting that there are more developments like this in hand.  

Hydrogen may be the answer

There are hopes that Hydrogen could become the fuel of the future; a substitute for more polluting options such as gas and oil.   Hydrogen is much more environmentally friendly than natural gas because it only produces water when it burns; there’s no carbon.   Replacing natural gas with hydrogen or a hydrogen/gas mix would cut emissions, and the beauty of it is, we’d be largely able to use the existing gas network and our current heating systems, with minor adjustments to both.   The potential re-adjustment work could offer significant opportunities for installers.   There are several studies underway at the moment in various parts of the UK, where government departments, academics and industry are coming together to explore the potential, but it may be that Natural Gas Installers could be making moves to Hydrogen in the not too distant future…   For more information on these and other exciting developments for energy production, download our Ultimate Guide to Future Proof Installer, leaflet here.