Transforming heating in homes

Proposals for all new buildings to be fitted with climate-friendly alternatives to fossil fuel heating systems have been published.

The New Building Heat Standard (Part II) consultation sets out plans that would mean direct emissions heating systems (DEH), such as those run on fossil fuel, would no longer be installed in any homes and non-domestic buildings warranted from April 2024. They would be replaced by alternatives such as heat pumps, solar and electric energy.

To launch the consultation, Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Patrick Harvie visited Saughton Park and Gardens in Edinburgh, where two ground source heat pumps provide the buildings’ heat.

Mr Harvie said:

“Scotland’s homes and buildings account for approximately a fifth of all our emissions, and we know that we need to take bold, ambitious steps to ensure we meet our climate obligations.

“New buildings will lead the way in cutting emissions, and earlier this year we published new energy standards that will cut emissions of all new-build homes by nearly a third.

“The proposed regulations are another major change to achieve our climate targets and make our homes and buildings warmer, greener and cheaper to run.

“We have been working with industry to inform the development of the proposed new regulations and I would urge individuals and organisations to share their views to help shape and inform their delivery.”

Background

The New Build Heat Standard Part II consultation runs for 12 weeks until 20 October 2022.

New energy standards were published on 15 June 2022.

A “direct emission heating system”, in relation to a building, means a system (other than a heat network) by which the building is heated or is cooled, or by which hot water is made available in the building, which uses thermal energy produced by a source of production which:

1. a) is located within the building, or the curtilage of the building, and
2. b) during normal operation produces greenhouse gas emissions at the point of production of that thermal energy.