The Government has published a new map aimed at flagging up new water source heat opportunities in the UK.
The high level water source heat map summarises the result of a high level assessment of around 40 urban rivers with the highest potential for water source heat pump deployment, for both heating and cooling purposes.
The map does this by identifying areas of high heat demand, adjacent to rivers with sufficiently high flow rates. The map also provides a high level indication of locations sensitive to environmental factors, which may provide a further constraint to development.
The map has been developed for local authorities, community groups and private developers in order to highlight the opportunities for deploying the innovative technology at larger scales (i.e. for heat networks).
The aim of the map is to raise awareness of this untapped potential and to encourage stakeholders to consider water source heat pumps as an option when planning for local, sustainable energy solutions.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change’s modelling shows that there is a particularly important role for heat pumps and for heat networks. DECC is particularly interested in deploying water source heat pumps as part of heat networks projects, where heat pumps provide low carbon and renewable heating to a number of different buildings through a network of pipes.
The Government intends to deliver a more detailed water source heat map in the winter which will form an important part of the new National Heat Map, which is currently being developed further .
Click here to download the map.
Click here to access DECC's national heat map tools