Tag: building standards
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Heat-pump Homes: Low Grid Strain Defies Early Expectations
Introduction: A Surprising Finding for the Energy Transition As the UK accelerates its shift to low-carbon heating, early experiments with all-electric homes are offering encouraging signs. A recent study focused on the first homes built to meet newer energy standards in Handsworth, Birmingham, found that heat-pump installations do not strain the electricity grid as much…
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Heat-pump Homes in the UK: Relief for the Grid More Than Expected
Introduction: A surprising resilience in the electricity grid As the UK moves toward stricter building standards, a wave of fully electric homes equipped with heat pumps is reshaping expectations about how much strain they place on the electricity grid. In Handsworth, Birmingham, researchers studied some of the first properties designed to meet the new energy…
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Heat-pump Homes Prove Gentle on the Grid: UK Study Finds
New evidence from the front lines of housing energy As the UK accelerates its shift to all-electric housing, a recent study suggests that heat-pump homes may not tax the electricity grid as much as planners feared. The research, focused on a small cluster of recently built homes in Handsworth, Birmingham, examined how heat pumps interact…
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Slow Efficiency Progress Is a Wasted Opportunity: Driving Bold Action on Energy Efficiency
Why Energy Efficiency Cannot Be Ignored Governments worldwide have made energy security, affordability, and sustainability top priorities. Yet progress on energy efficiency—the fastest and most cost-efficient path to lower energy bills, reduce emissions, and strengthen grid resilience—often lags behind ambitions. When efficiency moves slowly, households and businesses bear higher costs, while opportunities to modernize infrastructure…