Oliver Baker, CEO at Ambion Heating, explores how infrared panel heating systems with smart controls can affordably banish inefficient heating in social housing with energy use data and future-ready technology.
There is an urgent need to decarbonise home heating to reduce carbon emissions and meet the UK’s sustainability targets. Switching from fossil fuel-based technology, such as gas boilers, to low-carbon alternatives is a significant step in this process and will be key in tackling 17% of the UK’s emissions produced by spatial heating.
For social housing associations and local authorities, meeting these targets while providing warm, safe and affordable homes to tenants can be challenging. This is made even harder when balancing resources, budget and tenant satisfaction.
Retrofitting heating systems is one of the top concerns for social housing providers, along with funding constraints, housing quality and the integration of green technology. To help ease these concerns, could smart technology paired with infrared heating be the answer?
Data-driven insights
Smart technology is benefiting other industries in addressing efficiency and lowering costs. The same can be applied to the housing sector. Ambion heating partners with local authorities and housing associations to help achieve these benefits, providing their infrared heat panels and intuitive control panel to deliver affordable heating with reduced running costs for residents.
Access to energy data insights helps understand when and where energy is used, enabling residents to reduce costs by giving them greater control over their heating. That’s why the Ambion system includes data on actual and target temperatures, energy use and cost, by heater, room or zone. This is available to the householder on the control panel and to the landlord on a remote ‘dashboard’.
A smart and future-proof approach
Housing associations and local authorities can further reduce energy costs and reach target EPC scores by combining heating systems with renewable energy sources. Ambion recognised this opportunity to help social housing providers to future-proof, designing its systems to be compatible with key energy efficiency measures, including smart water heating and solar PV.
For example, the Ambion system complements these technologies by using algorithms to spread heat demand evenly across 24 hours, ensuring a low and even load with no spikes, as well as switching heaters on at different intervals to further reduce load.
Comfort and control
Smart technology within a heating system can give users added control, another significant benefit. When a heating system considers residents’ comfort by giving them control of their heating, residents can reduce their energy consumption without compromising on comfort.
Recent tests conducted on heating systems at Energy House 2.0, which focused on researching innovative net-zero housing solutions, revealed that Ambion’s system achieved the fastest heat-up times. It also maintained a high level of accuracy in reaching and sustaining the target temperature evenly throughout the room, eliminating cold spots and ensuring residents enjoy comfortable temperatures.
Improved quality, lower costs
Eliminating cold spots is an effective way to combat damp and mould, creating safer homes. By warming the fabric of the home rather than the air, infrared heating can help fight damp and mould.
Infrared heat panels offer additional benefits, such as upfront costs that are typically lower than latest-generation storage heaters and a low-cost installation. Panels can be installed by any qualified electrician, with no specialist training required, to further reduce costs for housing associations and local authorities.
Tackling space and sustainability
Housing associations are leaders in upgrading home efficiency, yet the prevalence of small homes, such as flats and terraced houses, in social housing could pose space challenges for installing bulkier low-carbon heating units like heat pumps.
Heat pumps require pipework, radiators, and external condenser units, which present potential challenges to smaller homes. For smaller living spaces, effective and affordable heating systems that have a slim design are essential. Infrared heat panels have no bulky boilers, heat pump units or wet delivery systems, taking up minimal space in the property while ensuring residents remain comfortable.
Embracing the future of smart heating
Heat pumps will play a crucial role in the future of home heating. However, for flats and smaller homes, more straightforward and economical alternative measures may be needed to ensure all house types are included within restricted budgets.
Social housing providers play a pivotal role in leading the charge of decarbonising homes. Yet, they also face increasing pressure to future-proof homes, both new and existing, that meet new standards. With practical, effective and smart heating systems, housing and local authorities can achieve their environmental goals, manage costs and provide warm and comfortable housing to residents.