The technological improvement in commercial heat pumps in recent years has been one of the things that has changed the way in how the government pledge for Net Zero is looked upon. Heat pumps are an incredibly worthwhile long-term investment for many types of properties, but especially where there is a need to be as clever as possible with budgets that are scrutinised and under pressure at all times. For example, the NHS is struggling under the weight of expectation from all angles, with a long-term aim to invest in sustainability, and the vast increase in technical standards when looking at heat pumps, and you can see how they might be advantageous in helping the NHS reach its own Net Zero targets over the coming years.
Decarbonising the NHS
There has been a willingness to decarbonise the NHS for quite some time now, but it could be one of the most complex and challenging systems to do so out of anything in the UK. The context of how the NHS works is a complicated beast, and to achieve Net Zero for the NHS there does need to be coordination, huge public investment, the ambition, and innovation to succeed at a granular level whilst keeping a tight hold on the bigger picture. Every single day in the NHS there is a requirement to heat buildings, to provide hot water, operate vacuum pumps, in many different types of medical institutions, GP practices, hospitals, therapy and physiotherapy centres, and many more. The NHS as a whole is so complex, so if you can take something like a heat pump and apply it to heating and hot water, this could have a transformative effect on the entire National Health Service and the systems it has in place.
We have experienced surges in temperature in the last decade as the effects of climate change has started to come home to roost much sooner than anyone anticipated. Britain topped 40 degrees in temperature in the summer of 2022, posing a real threat to how we live. The NHS is under enough pressure as it is, before adding in the complications of remaining operational during such extreme weather events. Pushing for Net Zero is in all our interests, and the NHS needs to act as quickly as possible to make effective change.
The NHS wants to decarbonise and reach Net Zero by the year 2040, with an 80% reduction from 2028 to 2032. How can heat pumps be a central part of this target?
What Exactly Are Commercial Heat Pumps?
Heat pumps have become an integral part of commercial heating in a sustainable way. They deliver low running costs and high rates of efficiency. This will only improve over time, as the technology improves, and more commercial premises take the plunge and install heat pumps to provide heating and water. This can only change on a wholesale level with the support of government legislation and funding, but we do believe it is coming.
Heat pumps work by taking heat from the air outside and turning into usable heat for the building they are attached to. The heat is captured using a refrigerant, and it works even in winter to create heat. The energy is absorbed, before going through a compressor which increases the pressure and the temperature. This heat is then transferred through an exchange to provide hot water and heating systems.
What Benefits Could Heat Pumps Provide the NHS?
The major benefit is that immediately there will be less reliance on fossil fuels to provide heating and hot water on a wide scale basis. They produce zero local carbon emissions and are much more efficient in how they operate when compared to boilers. With renewable heat being produced, heat pumps take advantage of the free energy in the air in order to heat water. When you combine this with a renewable electric supplier, you are talking about 100% sustainability and carbon neutrality. It might seem like a pipe dream, but it is very possible.
The use of heat pumps will significantly reduce energy bills, something that the NHS could use. They are relatively simple to install, and last for a few years without major maintenance required. The NHS would drastically reduce its carbon footprint and be a major player in the UKs fight to reach Net Zero by 2050. Heat pumps could be a key component of the NHS becoming a beacon of hope for climate change, sustainability, and a greener future for us all, whilst at the same time ensuring that the NHS itself becomes more efficient in everything that it does.
We all need to do our bit to make a difference to our world. We also all need to do our bit to save the NHS. Combining the two things together could be the key to sustaining both in the future, with commercial heat pumps a real possibility to help the NHS become carbon neutral.
