The heating industry has increased its efficiency by 40%

Sonia Pomar confirmed that all the companies integrated in FEGECA have “a firm commitment to the environmental demands and challenges of the ecological transition to minimise and eventually eliminate the impact of energy generation and consumption to be able to decarbonise buildings.”

She says, in the last 30 years “significant investment in research and development in the heating industry has led to potential for efficiency gains of over 30%, and this could reach 40% with the introduction of renewable energies.” As stated in the Fit for 55 and REPowerEU packages, it is clear that electric heat pumps currently play, and will continue to do so, a key role in both the short and long term. “But at FEGECA, we believe that decarbonisation doesn’t necessarily mean electrification. There are alternative methods, with other renewable energies and hybridisation.”

Potential of renewable gases

In theory, different technologies should have the same development opportunities to offer the most efficient and economically viable solutions to decarbonise each sector of the economy. “We need to focus on the potential of renewable gases (biogas, green hydrogen and synthetic natural gas (SNG)), which come from unlimited energy sources, unlike fossil fuel gases. One of their main advantages is that we can continue to use the natural gas infrastructures in the country to supply them, not only in the industrial, tertiary and residential sectors, but also the national electricity generation network.”

All current boilers and supply networks are fully compatible with renewable gases, for example, with biomethane or blends with natural gas. “Many of the boilers currently sold are already able to run with 20% hydrogen blends and there is technology available to produce boilers that run with 100% hydrogen. Biodiesel can also be used in these boilers.”

Hybridisation, a promising solution

Pomar says that “at FEGECA, we work to raise awareness and share information, promoting the use of renewable gases as the most feasible option from a technical and economic point of view to decarbonise the systems already in place.” Hybridisation is a promising solution, in her opinion. “A single hybrid system combining different energy sources that is flexible and can be extended at any time. Hybrid systems could be the key to decarbonising existing installations, as we already have many boilers in Spain that could be upgraded with a solar power system or heat pump.”

We also need to think about the extension and integration of renewables such as thermal solar, biomass, geothermal or photovoltaic solar energy, “that are very powerful resources for optimising energy management and helping reduce costs in buildings.”

Lastly, she said that “we can’t forget that it is important that the government gives the necessary impetus, both economic and legislative, to all solutions throughout the process, so people know that they can reduce their emissions without having to change their equipment.”