As the construction sector works to reduce its carbon footprint, questions about the future of home heating have become more urgent. While renewable technologies like Grant’s Aerona R290 air-to-water, air-source heat pump are already proving successful in new build and deep retrofit projects, the reality remains that over 680,000 homes across Ireland still rely on oil-fired boilers. Retrofitting all these homes to heat pump readiness is not a short-term solution. That’s where HVO biofuel, hydrotreated vegetable oil, can make a much quicker impact.
Deep retrofits to ensure a property is heat pump ready can seem daunting to many homeowners due to the costs involved, the amount of work required to be done and the disruption to the home whilst getting works undertaken. HVO biofuel provides an accessible, low-disruption alternative made from sustainable sources such as used cooking oil and waste animal fats. When used in a heating system, HVO can reduce carbon emissions by up to 88% compared to traditional kerosene. Additionally, the ease with which it can be integrated is both beneficial to the contractor and the homeowner.
Grant Vortex condensing boiler
All new Grant Vortex condensing boilers are HVO biofuel ready and all older models can be converted to run on 100% HVO with just a simple burner adjustment, typically performed during a routine annual service.
According to Barry Gorman, Grant’s National Renewable Sales Manager, the average cost of converting an existing boiler to HVO is around €500, a fraction of the price of a full system retrofit.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to decarbonisation,” adds Barry. “While heat pumps are ideal for well-insulated homes, HVO biofuel offers a more realistic solution for many older properties across Ireland.” By installing a biofuel-compatible boiler, it is future-proofing the home for its changing heating needs. In fact, research by TAZCH has outlined that using a 20% HVO blend in oil boilers could have the same emissions impact as retrofitting over 160,000 Irish homes with heat pumps*.
Grant’s free design and specification service
Grant continues to support those in the construction industry through both its product development and technical resources and training. Whether working on a new build project or upgrading an existing property, Grant’s free design and specification service for new build and deep retrofit projects provides in-depth heat loss calculations and system sizing and specification to ensure engineers and contractors have project-specific documentation and compliance data readily available at design stage.
Reducing carbon emissions
The challenge of reducing carbon emissions across Ireland is an enormous undertaking. While heat pumps are critical for new build compliance with Part L and NZEB standards, HVO biofuel provides a parallel, scalable strategy for existing homes, helping reduce emissions now, not in ten years’ time.
Visit www.grant.ie for more information on the Grant Vortex HVO biofuel-ready condensing boiler range.
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