Heat networks delivery plan

Annex B: Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

Third, fourth and fifth generation heat networks - Third and fourth generation systems generally provide hot water at between 60 and 100 degrees Celsius and fifth generation systems generally operate at temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius.

Anchor load - Buildings with a large, reliable and long-term demand for heat, often with a stable and constant use profile, can act as anchors for a developing district heating networks. These anchor loads allow district heat networks to operate efficiently and provide the potential to extend the network to smaller existing heat users in the area.

BAR - Building assessment report

CESAP - Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan

CHP - Combined heat and power

CMA – The Competition and Markets Authority

COSLA - Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

DHLF - District Heating Loan Fund

EfW - Energy from Waste

ESCO - Energy service company

EST - The Energy Saving Trust

GGA - Green Growth Accelerator

GW - A unit of power equal to 1,000,000,000 watts

GWh - A unit of energy equal to 1,000,000,000 watt hours

Heat network - Heat networks, as defined under the 2021 Act, include both district and communal heating:

• a district heat network is defined as a network by which thermal energy is distributed from one or more sources of production to more than one building
• a communal heating system is a system by which thermal energy is distributed from one or more sources of production to one building comprising more than one building unit

Heat networks can provide heating, cooling, or steam for industrial processes.

LCITP - Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme

LHEES - Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies – strategies which aim to establish area-based plans and priorities for systematically improving the energy efficiency of buildings, and decarbonising heat.

Ofgem - The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets – a non-ministerial department of the UK Government, which acts as the independent regulator of the UK energy market.

SME - Small and medium-sized enterprises

Terawatt (TW) - A unit of power equal to 1,000,000,000,000 watts

Terawatt hour (TWh) - A unit of energy equal to 1,000,000,000,000 watt hours

UK - The United Kingdom

Watt hour (Wh) - A unit of energy (or work) equal to the energy of one watt operating for one hour, equivalent to 3600 joules

Watt (W) - An international standard unit of power, defined as one joule per second. Being a small unit, it is usually used as a multiple such as kilowatts, megawatts, gigawatts or terawatts