A heat network, sometimes called “district heating” is a system of insulated pipes that connect to a number of buildings to provide heat from a central source.  Through connecting to a centralised energy centre buildings can remove the need for individual gas boilers, with their associated impacts on air quality.  Heat networks are the most cost effective, lowest hassle method to decarbonise heat at scale in a city centre because they:

• Can be straight replacement in the plant room for the gas boiler
• Are technology agnostic, which means that once the pipes are in the ground they can connect to any low/zero carbon heating solution – buildings are not locked in to any one technology
• Have the lowest cost per kW to install for a commercial building, compared to other low carbon heating options
• Capitalise on efficiencies of scale meaning that energy prices are lower
• All maintenance and replacement costs are included in the energy price, so there are no unforeseen costs