Helping housebuilders on the road to net-zero

Housebuilders may be feeling confused over recent government announcements to ban the installation of fossil-fuel heating systems in new build properties.

For a start, the original statement in 2019 set a target date of 2025. More recently, this was brought forward to 2023. This date then disappeared from the Government’s website only for it to reappear in the Future Homes Standard paper alongside a call for homes to be ‘zero carbon ready’. Despite the mixed messages, there is an industry-wide view that housebuilders need to be prepared and constructing homes with fossil-fuel alternatives, today.

The Climate Change Committee has estimated that 19 million heat pumps will need to be installed by 2050 to help achieve the UK’s net-zero goal.

Despite the confusion and urgency, Aptus has experienced teams ready to guide housebuilders and developers through the requirements and deliver the infrastructure.

Over the past three years, Aptus has been developing ways to help the built environment sector achieve ‘no gas’ solutions. We have partnered with two leading providers to support their development teams in delivering outstanding infrastructure solutions when supplying fossil-fuel alternative energy sources.

Aptus specialises in delivering infrastructure solutions for district heating and heat pumps – but what exactly are they?

District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralised location through a system of insulated pipes for (usually large-scale) residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating. Next time you’re in Manchester’s Convention Complex, look out for The Manchester Civic Quarter Heat Network.

Heat pumps (either ground source or air source)

A heat pump is an electrically powered device that absorbs heat from the air, ground or water around a building. They work by moving or pumping heat from one source to another.

Dan Owen, Aptus’ Business Development Director commented:
“The transition from traditional heat supply networks to fossil-free alternatives needn’t be daunting. We will continue to work closely with our customers to ensure that there’s a smooth, cost-effective solution that maintains the continuity within the scheme. This includes advising on infrastructure requirements or looking at the actual design and build of heating networks or other alternative electrified heating. Aptus will continue to guide and support our customers in every way possible.”

Aptus works alongside housebuilders and developers throughout the UK, providing services for gas, water and electric but also additional infrastructure such as fibre, street lighting and electric vehicle charging. This often goes hand-in-hand with delivering heat pump and district heating solutions as a true one-stop solution.

Dan adds:
“We can be flexible. We can offer all staple utility solutions such as gas, water and electric to a housebuilder or we can tailor our service with our array of bolt on solutions. Sometimes we’ll receive an enquiry on heat pumps and end up supporting with street lighting infrastructure or vehicle charging too. It’s exciting to be able help developers through these difficult transitions.”

Whichever date the Government decides to use as its target to ban fossil-fuel heat supplies into housing developments, housebuilders can be comforted in the knowledge that there is the right support and delivery partner ready to assist.

Published on 29th April 2022