The use of low-carbon energy sources in district heating systems is a vital part of reducing the world’s energy emissions, an industrial engineer has said.
Dave Pearson of Star Refrigeration, which is based in COP26 host city Glasgow, said as delegates prepare to visit the Scottish city that curbing heating and cooling emissions must be at the heart of any solutions that will enable global warming to be kept within the 1.5 degrees C level targeted in the Paris accord, PR Newswire reports.
Mr Pearson noted that heating and cooling account for 40 per cent of energy use and emit more greenhouse gases – and not just CO2 – than transport, agriculture or any other sector.
Advocating the use of large scale heat pumps, he said: “Heat pumps for district heating and industrial processes can deliver three times more heat energy than the electrical energy they consume.”
The use of such systems would not only reduce emissions, but would cut Britain’s reliance on fossil fuels such as natural gas, the reduced supply of which has been pushing up wholesale prices and hitting consumers with higher bills all over Europe as winter looms.
One does not need to stray far from Glasgow to see a new district heating system in operation. In the neighbouring town of Clydebank, the system at the Queens Quay development recently won the Heat Pump City of the Year prize in the European Heat Pump Awards.
Officially known as the West Dunbartonshire Energy Centre, the development at the former John Brown Shipyard is the first use of a water source heat pump in Scotland.
Convener of West Dunbartonshire Council’s infrastructure, regeneration and economic development committee Councillor Iain McLaren said: “I am proud that West Dunbartonshire is using this natural resource to provide energy,” adding that this was not just helping to meet net zero carbon targets, but benefitting residents and reducing fuel poverty.
Renewable energy district heating scheme in Clydebank officially opens (yahoo.com)