
29VAILLANT GROUP |
BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018
The process towards a future low-
carbon energy mix will be a transitional
journey that will embrace a range
of solutions. One such example is
that of green gas, which will utilise
the existing nationwide distribution
infrastructure to provide a flexible
energy source. To truly change things,
however, we will also have to look
at an increasing number of electric
solutions: the use of heat pumps,
forexample.
The drive towards low-carbon heating
and hot water will naturally have to
involve buildings in both the domestic
and commercial sectors, and, for this
reason, we are looking to provide
system-based solutions that cater
for private and social housing, new
builds and existing building stock
across both the residential and light
commercialmarkets.
Low-carbon solutions are no longer
seen as a niche option, and their
growing adoption, both on and off
gas, requires a flexible, system-based
approach. This will become more
prevalent as technology develops
further; solutions such as heat pumps
will become more regularly installed
alongside solar photovoltaic and
battery storage systems, with home
energy management and different
types of tariff emerging within the
energy supply market.
Innovations geared towards lowering
the environmental impact of energy
usage are being developed across
our product portfolio, to ensure
that we can offer efficient, fresh
and sustainable solutions for our
customers. Our development of the
geoTHERM mini – the world’s first
wall-hung ground source heat pump –
is testament to this.
New product development alone,
however, will not achieve our national
decarbonisation targets, and future
policies must be underpinned by
certain guiding principles:
1. Reducing waste energy and energy
consumption
2. Utilising energy generated from
sustainable low-carbon sources
3. Future-proofing new-build
properties to save expensive and
difficult refits in future.
Integrated energy solutions
A fixation on a single technology in the
heating sector, such as an “all-electric
scenario”, is the wrong approach.
This attitude does not easily provide
cost-effective and convenient solutions
across the wide variety of building
types that exist in the UK.
Instead, the future lies in a variety
of solutions, including biofuels, the
use of hydrogen for heating and
industrial processes, and, of course,
the electrification of heating. At this
time, though, it would be foolhardy
to opt for a single “silver bullet”; to
truly achieve a national integrated
energy solution, our sector needs an
open, technology-agnostic approach
and a policy framework that supports
UK manufacturing to become a world
leader in this area.
Vaillant UK HQ
A true,
integrated
energy system is
necessary, and
only through
smart
technology will
we be able to
achieve this
“
“