Find out how community heating can save money, cut pollution and ease fuel poverty.
What is community heating?
Buildings heated by community heating take hot water piped from one central boiler plant or energy centre to heat their radiators and provide hot water.
Why use community heating?
Its benefits are:
- Environmental
- Economic
- Social
Environmental benefits of community heating
Economies of scale mean that one central boiler plant is more efficient than individual boilers.
An example of this is Leicester’s City Centre District Heating Scheme, which spans six estates in the city and will have saved more than 20,000 tonnes of carbon by 2020. energy savings are typically 25% compared to individual building gas boilers and up to 50% compared to electric heating.
Fuels rush in
Community heating can use fuels in ways that just wouldn’t work in individual houses or flats.
Combinations of energy sources can be used, including traditional gas fired boilers, biomass, CHP and low grade heat technologies such ground source heat pumps.
Heat that would otherwise be wasted during industrial processes can be used when the plant is connected to a district heat network.
Typical carbon dioxide emissions [g/kWh] of different heating systems:
| District heating | Individual heating | ||
| CHP gas | 10 | Gas boiler | 260 |
| CHP coal | 270 | Coal fired boiler | 530 |
| Biomass | 30 | Oil fired boiler | 350 |
| Waste incineration | 20 | Electric heating | 850 |
| Oil | 360 | Heat pump | 300 |
Economic benefits of community heating
Community heating can cut the costs to the housing management and to the consumer.
Factors in economic savings:
- Reduced maintenance
- No gas boiler avoids safety inspection costs
- Longer equipment life
- 25 years – versus 15 for gas boilers
- CHP
Supplying electricity can cut building management costs or provide income and lower electricity bills to customers.
Social benefits of community heating
Systems that serve social housing – typically owned by a local authority or housing association - are among the most viable. It can reduce energy bills for residents on benefits or within fuel poverty. Affordable warmth reduces cold and condensation related illnesses.
Discover even more benefits of community heating. Download your free eGuide: ‘Why choose a community heating scheme?’
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