This two-part article covers the most frequently proposed ways to heat buildings in a low-carbon future. In Part 1 the focus was comparing energy efficiency and carbon emissions. Here, Part 2 continues by looking at technology readiness and infrastructure requirements.

The two most frequently proposed ways to heat buildings in a low-carbon future in the UK are: hydrogen to power hot water boilers, or electricity to power heat pumps. Hydrogen is being suggested in two low-carbon forms, known as ‘green’ and ‘blue’.

Hydrogen is often claimed as a solution for hard to decarbonise sectors like as aviation. But is it really feasible to decarbonise the aviation sector with hydrogen? To really unpick this, let’s crunch some numbers.