A big British boiler 'ban' - The Reengineer Monitor #8

Greenhouses, bridges, the rise of e-bikes - and more!

Photo by Mark Stebnicki.

Heating and cooling

There was some confusion this week following reports suggesting that the UK government was set to soften a ban on the sale of gas boilers from 2035 onwards. The Future Homes Standard, a new set of regulations applying to newly constructed homes, will ensure a de facto ban on gas boilers in those homes from 2035 due to energy efficiency requirements. This has not changed. As for existing homes, the Labour government had already signalled pre-election that it would scrap the previous government’s plan to prevent homeowners from buying a new gas boiler after 2035. In sum, nothing has actually moved in terms of policy on this front. But it is certainly getting people talking.

Vietnam is shifting away from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in cooling devices because they contribute to global warming.

Commercial greenhouses in northern climates use huge amounts of energy for heating. A new study explores the potential for heat pumps to supply these facilities.

Buildings and infrastructure

Climate change threatens major oil ports because of sea-level rise and storm surges, according to a new report from the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative.