image source, Getty Images
- Author, Stefan Messenger
- Role, BBC Wales Environment Correspondent
Heat pumps will need to be installed in the vast majority of Welsh homes to meet climate targets, according to the Welsh Government.
But the government’s new heat strategy does not say if or when oil and gas boilers will be banned, acknowledging that the transition was still “out of the question” for many.
It said it would focus on making it easier to choose greener technology through, among other things, financial incentives and changes to planning rules.
Heating accounts for 50% of Wales’ energy use, of which 75% comes from burning oil and gas, releasing planet-warming carbon emissions.
Ministers have decided not to support the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for heating homes, although they say it will play an important role in and around industrial estates.
The announcement is considered significant because it is about choosing a concrete path to achieve low-carbon heating.
What are heat pumps?
Heat pumps run on electricity instead of gas.
As the UK increases its electricity generation from renewable sources such as wind and solar, it is hoped they will play a big role in reducing emissions.
Heat pumps heat buildings by absorbing heat from the air, ground or water.
For example, air pumps draw in outside air and pass it through pipes containing coolants to produce heat.
According to the National Infrastructure Commission, it costs an average of £10,000 more to install than a gas boiler, but costs are steadily falling.
Wales, like the UK, is working towards a legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050 to stop contributing to climate change.
An estimated 15,000 heat pumps have already been installed in Wales – the Welsh Government wants this to rise to 580,000 by 2035.
Respondents to a consultation before her plans were launched warned that the public was not sufficiently informed about them, as well as cost and practicalities being the main obstacles.
The strategy proposes a review of planning rules to make it easier to introduce a heat pump, as well as a public awareness campaign.
UK government grants, which offer £7,500 off the cost of installing a heat pump, are already available, but the Welsh Government said it was “identifying the financial and other forms of support needed”, particularly for poorer households.
A clear focus on heat pumps is also expected to give business confidence and drive investment in manufacturing, skills and training.
Building work has started on 41 new affordable homes in Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd.
They are EPC A, which means they have the highest possible energy efficiency.
The timber frame features solar panels with battery storage, high levels of insulation and air source heat pumps.
Going forward, the Welsh Government wants all new-build homes to look like this and has said it would invest heavily in upgrading most of the country’s existing housing stock.
“Massive Challenge”
Arwyn Evans, of housing association Cynefin Group, said: “A house like this could save a tenant up to 50% or more on their bills compared to the average house.”
But Mr Evans said trying to install technology such as heat pumps in older properties was likely to be much more of a challenge.
“Heat pumps still don’t work in existing warehouses because heat pumps work best in underfloor heating, so in existing houses – [it’s a] a massive challenge. “
He said it would take about £30,000 to £50,000 per property to upgrade existing homes to an EPC A rating.
“You’re talking billions of pounds,” he said.
“It will keep people in work and it will be good for the community if we invest in it for the long term.
“But it’s going to take a couple of years to get everyone up to speed. We’re getting there, but it’s pretty slow.”
Along with its heat strategy, the Welsh Government has also officially launched a new state-owned renewable energy developer.
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, based in Merthyr Tydfil, has been asked to deliver an additional gigawatt worth of green energy capacity in Wales by 2040, enough to meet the needs of more than 860,000 homes.
It will mainly focus on the construction of new offshore wind farms.
BBC Wales has been told that five sites in Welsh Government-owned forests across Wales are being considered.
Launching the Government’s heating strategy in Bryncynon, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Energy Secretary Jeremy Miles said it would lead to “major projects owned by Wales”.
“There are huge opportunities here,” he said.
He said owning a renewables company on behalf of Wales would give the people of Wales the opportunity to “own the returns on what will be a significant investment”.
Richard Evans, chief executive of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, said the firm would “reach out to local communities to discuss very early plans linked to priority projects on the Welsh Forest Estate”.