Engineering a greener future with renewable heating technologies

Here, Andy Farquhar, Senior Product Manager (New Energy) for Groupe Atlantic UK, Republic of Ireland and North America, the parent company of Ideal Heating, discusses the vital role of manufacturers in the shift to renewable heating technologies

To meet the UK’s 2050 net zero targets and transition to a low-carbon economy, almost complete decarbonisation of the UK’s housing stock is needed.

The race to net zero is heating up. At Ideal Heating, we’re engineering a greener future. Here, I discuss the vital role of manufacturers in the shift to renewable heating technologies

The way we heat our homes is changing

The Office for National Statistics reported in August 2022 that over a quarter of UK carbon emissions are produced by the nation’s 25 million homes.

That means decarbonising homes and supporting the drive to a net zero economy will require a transition from traditional gas boilers.

In response to this challenge, the Government has set a target of 600,000 heat pumps to be installed in UK homes annually by 2028. That’s a very ambitious goal, but we will do all we can to contribute.

At Ideal Heating, we’re rapidly transforming our business and the products we manufacture to support the transition to net zero.

Recently we launched Logic Air – our new monobloc heat pump for the domestic market. This flagship new product represents a substantial investment from Ideal Heating – in our technology, people and operations.

For generations, we’ve been at the forefront of the UK heating industry, and our market-leading boilers have kept homes warm and dry for over 100 years.

Now it’s time to hand the baton over to products such as Logic Air. Designed to deliver efficient, reliable low carbon heating, Logic Air will be a vital piece of the jigsaw as homes are converted from gas to renewable sources of energy.

We know heat pumps aren’t the only solution. A combination of technologies and products will be needed to decarbonise UK homes.

But we’re confident that Logic Air will become a staple at the heart of peoples’ homes, as our boilers have been for decades.

What lies behind our products

Behind all our products, including Logic Air, is a suite of a wealth of experience and expertise combined with world-class technology, customer support and training.

Our UK-based customer support team helps customers 364 days a year, providing a rapid, efficient response to their needs.

They’re supported by a network of over 150 service engineers, providing a same or next-day response to customers nationwide.

It means if you need any help or support, we’ll provide it quickly and get you back up and running.

Training the next generation of low-carbon engineers

To meet the ambitious targets set by the Government, the UK will need a network of skilled, low-carbon engineers.

However, the industry has acknowledged a shortage of installers with the skills and experience to fit heat pumps.

We’re playing our part in bridging the skills gap by creating a best-in-class learning environment at our new National Training and Technology Centre in Hessle, East Yorkshire.

Our sector-leading facility will train up to 5,000 engineers annually in green technologies, driving the heating industry forward.

Working together to reach net zero

The heating industry is deeply committed to the net zero agenda and moving at pace to make the required changes.

It means manufacturers such as Ideal Heating must reshape our entire business operations in a very short space of time.

Investment must be made in skills, training, equipment and resources to ramp up heat pump manufacturing and servicing. At Ideal Heating, we’re investing £60 million at our site in Hull in new facilities to support the transition to heat pumps.

But our message is clear – the targets which have been set can only be achieved by working with manufacturers.

This transition will not be achieved if unrealistic conditions and punitive measures are put in place which deter investment and create additional pressures in an already fiercely- competitive business environment.

The challenges of climate change unite all of us. Only by working together and by the Government and other stakeholders understanding the challenges faced by the heating industry will we succeed in changing how our homes are heated.

Engineering a low-carbon future with renewable heating technologies

At Ideal Heating, we have the expertise and the experience to help customers and partners in the low-carbon transition.

Ideal Heating’s parent company, Groupe Atlantic, is a European heat pump market leader. Working closely with our colleagues in France, we’re sharing knowledge and know-how in the renewable heating technologies which will heat our homes for generations to come.

Our industry expertise spans world-class training, exceptional customer support, pioneering research and development and decades of experience manufacturing reliable, efficient heating products.

We’re the UK leader in both the domestic and commercial heating markets, and now we’re playing our part in the next chapter.

The future is greener, and Ideal Heating is right at the heart of it.