Do you acknowledge that Section 9.11 of the draft Energy Assessment Guidance supporting the new London Plan excludes the use of ambient loop systems with individual heat pumps units in heat network priority areas, because they are regarded as individual heating systems which cannot connect to a district heat network?

The London Plan sets a net zero carbon target which is resulting in highly efficient buildings that utilise innovative low carbon heat and renewable technologies. Referable developments meeting London Plan policy in 2020 achieved a carbon reduction of 46.2% more than national building regulations.

The guidance supports the use of ambient loop systems except for one specific scenario: systems with individual heat pumps in heat network priority areas where there is potential to connect to a district heat network. This is due to the complexity and inefficiencies associated with the temperature differential between the ambient loop and the district heat network, and concern that the additional cost of supplying heat this way would be passed onto the consumer.

Given high energy prices, I will not approve approaches that could be inefficient and further increase energy bills. I expect developers of new sites to work with local heat network operators in developing appropriate energy strategies.