COP26 has now begun in Glasgow.

And as part of the many environmental steps forward that we are all hoping for, one of the lesser announcements that may come relates to homes central heating systems.

There has already been announcements made about heat pumps which is a good step forwards but theses systems will play a bigger role in new build homes in Scotland as the complication of switching from a traditional gas boiler to a heat pump system in some of the older homes in the country is more than just a straight swap.

What we are looking forward to is an announcement about hydrogen use for boilers.

Why hydrogen?

Removing carbon in central heating systems is a complex issue and a big part of that is down to the existing infrastructure because the vast majority of homes in Scotland use natural gas for their central heating boilers.

But what if we could replace the natural gas used in boilers with hydrogen gas?  The only by-product of burning hydrogen of course is water which means that using hydrogen gas is a carbon free fuel source.  The infrastructure for the supply of gas is already there and what a lot of people don’t know is that most modern combi boilers can actually already run on a ‘blend’ which is made up of around 20% hydrogen and 80% natural gas.

By embracing hydrogen as a fuel source for homes boiler systems, thousands of homes in Scotland can be saved from the need to replace their entire system. The gas network is already in place and with relatively little in the way of modifications, existing boilers can accommodate an increased blend of hydrogen/natural gas.

There are many pros (and of course some cons) to the process but with the future of the planet at stake, we are expecting the world leaders attending in Glasgow to make some big announcements that will help ensure that we have real alternatives to the current fossil fuel heating systems that will allow home owners to keep their homes warm with minimal switches or compromises.

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