Collection

Heat technical research

Technical research covering aspects of low carbon heating technologies.

• From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Published: 7 August 2013
• Last updated: 15 March 2024 — See all updates

Low carbon and renewable heating technologies are going to be essential to meet the UK’s legally binding climate change commitments.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and predecessor department, Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), funded or part funded a number of research projects in this area, covering amongst other topics:

• field trials of domestic heat pumps
• biomass boiler methodology studies
• heat metering accuracy testing

Biogas technologies

• Global biomass markets
  • 12 April 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Methodology to assess methane leakage from anaerobic digestion plants
  • 22 March 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Bioenergy heat pathways to 2050: rapid evidence assessment
  • 30 November 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Innovation needs assessment for biomass heat
  • 12 April 2018
  • Research and analysis

Biomass boilers

• Biomass boilers: measurement of in-situ performance
  • 16 September 2019
  • Research and analysis
• A Methodology for Evaluating the In-Situ Performance of Solid Fuel Biomass Boilers
  • 1 September 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Desk-based review of performance and installation practices of biomass boilers
  • 24 November 2014
  • Research and analysis

Boilers

• Evidence gathering - Passive Flue Gas Heat Recovery
  • 16 November 2016
  • Research and analysis
• In-situ monitoring of efficiencies of condensing boilers and use of secondary heating trial: final report (2009)
  • 19 June 2009
  • Research and analysis
• In-situ monitoring of efficiencies of condensing boilers: final report (2010)
  • 11 November 2010
  • Research and analysis

Heat meters

• Heat meter accuracy testing
  • 16 November 2016
  • Research and analysis
• Heat meter measurement errors final report
  • 18 November 2014
  • Research and analysis

Heat networks

• The national comprehensive assessment of the potential for combined heat and power and district heating and cooling in the UK
  • 11 February 2016
  • Research and analysis
• Assessment of the costs, performance and characteristics of UK heat networks
  • 26 March 2015
  • Research and analysis

Heat pumps

• Fuel Driven Heat Pumps
  • 22 March 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Hybrid heat pumps study
  • 12 April 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Heat Pumps in Smart Grids
  • 9 February 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Monitoring of non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive ground-source and water-source heat pumps
  • 9 February 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Renewable energy from reversible air-to-air heat pumps
  • 9 February 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Detailed analysis of data from heat pumps installed via the Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme (RHPP)
  • 7 April 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Evidence gathering - High temperature heat pumps, hybrid heat pumps and gas driven heat pumps
  • 16 November 2016
  • Research and analysis
• Heat Pumps in District Heating
  • 11 February 2016
  • Research and analysis
• Water source heat map layer
  • 25 March 2015
  • Policy paper
• Impacts of Leakage from Refrigerants in Heat Pumps
  • 15 April 2014
  • Research and analysis
• Preliminary report on the Renewable Heat Premium Payment metering programme
  • 31 January 2014
  • Research and analysis
• Analysis from the Energy Saving Trust’s heat pump field trial
  • 7 August 2013
  • Research and analysis
• Examination of performance of air-source heat pumps in a London social housing block
  • 7 August 2013
  • Research and analysis
• Literature Review for the IEA Annex 36 on Quality of Installation and Maintenance of Heat Pumps
  • 18 July 2013
  • Research and analysis
• Investigation of the interaction between hot water cylinders, buffer tanks and heat pumps
  • 14 May 2013
  • Research and analysis
• The effects of cycling on heat pump performance
  • 21 December 2012
  • Independent report
• Acoustic noise measurements of Air Source Heat Pumps
  • 26 October 2011
  • Research and analysis

Heat storage and distribution systems

• Evidence gathering - Thermal energy storage
  • 16 November 2016
  • Research and analysis
• Heat distribution systems (HDS)
  • 12 March 2021
  • Research and analysis

Heating in off-gas grid homes

• Electric and bioenergy heating in off-gas grid homes: evidence gathering
  • 16 September 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Electric heating in rural off-gas grid dwellings: technical feasibility
  • 7 December 2018
  • Research and analysis

Hydrogen

• Hydrogen for heating: emissions potential - literature review
  • 12 April 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Hydrogen supply chain: evidence base
  • 30 November 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Logistics of domestic hydrogen conversion
  • 30 November 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Atmospheric impacts of hydrogen: literature review
  • 30 November 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Appraisal of domestic hydrogen appliances
  • 12 April 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Hydrogen Appliances: Desk study on the development of the supply chain for 100% hydrogen-fired domestic and commercial appliances
  • 16 November 2016
  • Research and analysis

Solar heating

• Evidence gathering - Hybrid solar photovoltaic thermal panels (PVT)
  • 16 November 2016
  • Research and analysis

Waste heat

• Barriers and Enablers to Recovering Surplus Heat in Industry: a qualitative study
  • 16 November 2016
  • Research and analysis
• The potential for recovering and using surplus heat from industry
  • 26 March 2014
  • Research and analysis

Comparative studies

• Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification (CODE)
  • 17 September 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Alternative heat solutions: converting a town to low carbon heating
  • 12 April 2019
  • Research and analysis

Other

• Domestic hot water use in the UK
  • 15 March 2024
  • Research and analysis
• Cooling in the UK
  • 17 September 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Market and regulatory frameworks for a low carbon gas system
  • 12 April 2018
  • Research and analysis
• International comparisons of heating, cooling and heat decarbonisation policies
  • 12 April 2018
  • Research and analysis

Published 7 August 2013
Last updated 15 March 2024 + show all updates

1. 15 March 2024

   Added report on domestic hot water use in the UK.

2. 23 September 2021

   Added two reports: Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification (CODE) and Cooling in the UK.

3. 12 March 2021

   Report on heat storage and distribution systems published.

4. 16 September 2019

   2 new reports added to page: Electric and bioenergy heating in off-gas grid homes: evidence gathering / Biomass boilers: measurement of in-situ performance.

5. 12 April 2019

   Added 3 publications: Alternative heat solutions: converting a town to low carbon heating, Global biomass markets, and Hydrogen emission potential: literature review.

6. 22 March 2019

   Added report: Methodology to assess methane leakage from anaerobic digestion plants.

7. 7 December 2018

   'Electric heating in rural off-gas grid dwellings: technical feasibility report' added.

8. 13 April 2018

   5 recent reports added to collection.

9. 9 February 2018

   Updated reports on 'Monitoring of non-domestic RHI ground-source and water-source heat pumps' and 'Heat Pumps in Smart Grids' Added a new report on 'Renewable energy from reversible air-to-air heat pumps'.

10. 16 November 2016

    Updated with new evidence gathering reports

11. 11 February 2016

    Addition of RHPP evaluation, assessment of the potential for combined heat and power and district heating and cooling in the UK, non domestic RHI ground source and water source heat pump reports, and heat pumps in district heating reports.

12. 7 August 2013

    First published.