The Chemical Engineer
Summary
THE University of Nottingham, UK has received £1.3m (US$1.8m) for a project to develop a novel, low-carbon energy storage system to supply cheap, on-demand heat for houses and buildings in UK neighbourhoods. The technology could help decarbonise the building sector, while also addressing issues of fuel poverty and pollution.
As part of its Clean Growth Strategy, the UK Government announced plans to phase out the installation of high-carbon fossil-fuel heating in new and existing buildings during the 2020s. According to Jo Darkwa, “we need low carbon and zero carbon heating systems that can replace fossil-fuelled systems”, because gas boilers will not be an option beyond 2030. Darkwa is a Professor of Energy Storage Technologies in the Faculty of Engineering at Nottingham.
The team intends to develop a flexible and smart heat storage system that can help overcome the difficulties of using low-zero carbon sources of energy within district heating systems. According to Darkwa, a key alternative to replace fossil-fuelled heating systems is district heating systems which distribute hot water into multiple properties via networks of communal pipes.
He says: “District heating systems are advantageous, because they can use excess heat – a free raw material – from industrial processes or sustainable sources such as geothermal to heat water for large numbers of homes. It’s very common in Scandinavia, Germany, and China.”
Continue Reading
#News
#DistrictHeating
#UnitedKingdom