State schools face barriers to low carbon heating

A survey conducted by Baxi, manufacturer and distributor of water and space heating systems, of 200 state school estates managers, consultant engineers and M&E contractors found that although enthusiasm for net zero and support for low carbon heating systems in schools is high, barriers to implementation persist.

This new research found that 90 per cent of estates managers who responded agree that net zero is a priority, and 99 per cent of estates managers surveyed reported having a net zero plan in place. Experience and satisfaction with low carbon heating systems within schools was high, with 95 per cent of school estates managers having replaced a fossil fuel boiler with a heat pump in their buildings previously. 97 per cent of all school estates managers, and 87 per cent of all respondents, viewed heat pump performance and operating costs favourably.

But, despite this, the report uncovered challenges faced by respondents regarding installing low carbon heating systems. The most prominent of these was a technical difficulty as a barrier to deployment. With 36 per cent and 39 per cent of school managers and consultant engineers and contractors respectively identifying the challenge, there may be a skills gap which can stall decarbonisation projects.

Additionally, 36 per cent of surveyed consultant engineers and contractors identified increased electricity capacity needed for low carbon heating solutions as a barrier.

Other challenges identified include the financial and technical feasibility of school heating system changes, infrastructure requirements, and the length of project timelines as any major refurbishment projects are typically restricted to the fixed window of time of the summer holiday period.

The study did identify potential solutions, such as hybrid heat pump systems and prefabricated packaged solutions. Hybrid heat pumps were a popular solution with survey respondents: 93 per cent of school estates managers responded that they would likely consider installing a hybrid heat pump system.

Baxi is thus calling for four clear steps for the government to take which it believes would accelerate the decarbonisation of state schools and remove barriers to installing hybrid heating systems within public buildings. These are: including heating system upgrades for schools within existing public sector support schemes, include hybrid heating systems within existing support schemes, address the imbalance in price between gas and electricity, and address the skills gap to help deliver clean energy projects.