Technical Areas - Energy Efficiency

Buildings decarbonisation encompasses energy efficiency measures from insulation to low carbon heating and plays an important role in both ADE missions – Decarbonising British Heat and Empowering Energy Demand.  

Decarbonising British Heat: 

Currently, home heating accounts for 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions and must be tackled for the UK to reach Net Zero and meet its obligations under the Sixth Carbon Budget.  Buildings decarbonisation looks at heat at the buildings level – air and ground source heat pumps and the buildings standards and consumer regulations side of heat networks. These low carbon heating methods will drastically reduce emissions and run more efficiently. With the right policy framework, low carbon heating can make households warmer and more comfortable while saving them money. Further, the electrification of heat will increase the UK’s energy security, reducing our dependence on foreign gas imports. 

Empowering Energy Demand: 

The cheapest, safest and most secure form of energy is the energy we do not use. As heating and other systems electrify that truth becomes even more important. That is why energy efficiency must be allowed to compete on equal terms with new supply capacity. Energy efficiency means the construction of fewer new generating plants and reduced network infrastructure investment combined with greater resilience, lower carbon emissions and enabling demand flexibility. These savings are key to achieving Clean Power by 2030. In the past, UK energy policy has focused heavily on the supply side as opposed to reducing demand for and allowing flexible use of energy. We take an integrated view and see domestic and industrial demand reduction as a key part of our transition to a decentralised energy future.