SPONSOR CPD PROGRAMME Continuing professional development (CPD) is the regular maintenance, improvement and broadening of your knowledge and skills, to maintain professional competence. It is a requirement of CIBSE and other professional bodies. This Journal CPD programme can be used to meet your CPD requirements. Study the module and answer the questions on Moving towards the increased adoption of heat pumps for heating and hot water completed module is equivalent to 1.5 hours of CPD. Modules are also available at www.cibsejournal.com/cpd This module explores how heat pumps can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment The UK governments legal requirement for net zero national greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 means that the UK must cut emissions across the whole economy, including transport, energy supply, industry and the built environment. water production in buildings are the largest contributors to emissions from the built environment, and it has noted that the goal is feasible but challenging. This The UK 2017 Clean Growth Strategy1 highlighted the built environment as a around 32% of total UK emissions. The recent report2 by CCC highlights that, for 2015 and, therefore, critically assessing the opportunities for improvements in heating and hot water production is important for potential emissions reductions. In November 2020, the UK government published The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution3 and grow offshore wind and nuclear energy generation capacity, alongside an aim of developing 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. The government plans to trial hydrogen for heating in neighbourhoods and towns by the same date. The Ten Point Plan emphasises that the success of the hydrogen approach is only possible when accompanied by the growth of carbon capture and storage infrastructure. By 2050, the CCC believes that all UK heat demand can be met by low carbon sources: 52% heat pumps; 42% district heating; 5% hydrogen boilers; and 1% new direct electric heating. Shortly after the plan was launched, the CCC published The Sixth Carbon Budget,1 which recommends an interim target of a 78% cut in UK emissions against 1990 levels by 2035 that represents a 63% reduction compared with 2019 levels. As UK government and CCC reports highlight, a crucial development for the UKs zero net carbon policy is the decarbonisation of its electricity grid. Renewable energy sources (which excludes nuclear) accounted4 for 41% of UK total electricity use in year ending September 2020, at 130TWh. The main renewable source was wind at 74TWh. The Ten Point Plan includes growth of offshore wind from 24GW in 2020 to 40GW by 2030. Natural gas currently generation (at about 35%); however, coal use for electricity production has fallen dramatically over the past decade, to below 2%. In December 2020, the UK government published the energy white paper Powering our Net Zero Future5 that reiterates its commitment to reducing the UKs reliance on fossil fuels. CCCs The Sixth Carbon Budget identities around 34% of emissions reductions, and notes that the share contributed by low carbon heating dominates the picture from 2028. It also recommends a phase-out of natural gas heating in commercial buildings by 2033, with public buildings working to a deadline of 2030. The CCCs goal is that by www.cibsejournal.com May 2021 57 CIBSE May 21 pp57-60 CPD Supp 178.indd 57 23/04/2021 16:10