Opinion

Guest contributor Lucy Siegle on the shift needed to decarbonise our buildings. In order to solve the climate and nature crisis, it turns out we do need some education and mindset shift (rather than ‘thought control’).  The health of the planet is famously an existential issue and given this planet is our home, that means […]

Rinnai’s Tony Gittings calls for industry unity in delivering practical, economic and technical benefits of decarbonisation. For UK decarbonisation aims to be successfully achieved a shared and consistent approach must be formulated and agreed upon by all acting parties within the HVAC and building services industries. At present there is widespread preference towards heat pump […]

UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill says that the Plan for Water set out by the government is misguided and could waste a huge amount of money. These proposals will adversely restrict the market and without education and a robust audit system they will fail.  Government is misguided in spending time and money developing a label when […]

Natalie Robertson, Innovation Lead at UKRI’s Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, argues that identifying and addressing skills gaps in our industrial regions is essential if the UK is to make the most of the opportunities that industrial decarbonisation offers. The UK is well on track to deliver several carbon capture and hydrogen projects in the next few […]

When considering energy security says David Kyle, a rapid growth in battery storage in all our homes is likely.  With rising energy bills affecting everyone, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine throwing the spotlight on energy supply security, its perhaps no surprise that investment in climate tech and renewables is at an all-time high – and […]

Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, shares why it is important that future homes are not connected to the gas grid.  As the UK faces the triple crises of energy security, energy prices and climate catastrophe, we are looking to the government to ensure no newbuild properties are connected to the gas grid. As recently reported […]

Introducing the Housebuilders Clean Heat Index: too many house builders are delaying the transition to clean heat in their developments, says Ned Lamb, calling for a wide-scale shift to clean heat. Decarbonising the energy used to heat our homes is a critical component of the UK’s mission to become a net zero nation. Of the […]

The Unified Water Label Association is calling for an integrated approach to education and promoting the ‘use water wisely’ message on World Plumbing Day, which takes place Saturday 11th March, says MD Yvonne Orgill. The international plumbing industry comes together on this day to promote the link between good quality plumbing, health, environmental sustainability and, […]

Chris Goggin of Rinnai looks at a new report from the National Audit Office on the 2035 target for decarbonisation. A new report from the National Audit Office, an independent parliamentary body responsible for auditing governmental expenditure, has warned that lack of a clear future plan to decarbonise gas usage could result in a lack […]

Stephanie Allchurch, Product Development Manager at Altecnic, talks all things balancing to unlock the efficiency of any heating system. System design Many systems, including 2-pipe direct return, 2-pipe reverse return, and manifold-based distribution, use parallel circuits to deliver a portion of the total system flow rate to either individual zones within a building or individual […]

Gamification is a tried and tested way to change behaviours and drive energy savings, says Kristin Marin, Chief Inspiration Officer for the CUBE competition. Meeting global net zero targets is one of the most significant challenges to date. The implication of collective action means changing fundamentally the way we work, live, and connect, but the […]

A new generation of professionals will be crucial to a net zero future, says Karen Boswell, MD of Baxi UK and Ireland. As National Apprenticeship Week begins, Baxi’s Karen Boswell says it is essential that the industry creates an appealing and accessible pathway into engineering for the next generation of heating professionals. Apprenticeships, either with […]