Goodbye to gas boilers: a heat pump in every home. But is it really so?

Goodbye to autonomous gas boilers, including those powered by renewable gases, from September 2029 and throughout the European Union. Or maybe not, not really, or not yet, because the last word hasn’t been said. How are things really? Everything revolves around the “813/2013/EU” regulation, known as “Ecodesign”, whose revision draft is currently being discussed at the European Commission. Without going too far into technical details, this is a European directive aiming to implement energy efficiency and savings and giving instructions on eco-design requirements for space heaters. The EU administration’s goal is to “ensure the abandonment of gas boilers by imposing stricter ecodesign limits for heating systems, which implies 2029 as the deadline for the introduction of boilers to autonomous fossil fuels”.

Gas boilers banned from 2029: what can change?

Already noting the open opposition of Italy and almost all countries of Eastern Europe, and of course companies operating in the natural gas sector producing devices and components for heating systems, the draft text was submitted by the European Commission on Monday, June 12, to the public participation stage of the draft Ecodesign regulations. It will be discussed again at a meeting with participating subjects. Compared to past months, the margins of a negotiation can now be seen for a moment: There are some possible exceptions in the study, and the cessation of sales of gas boilers from 2029 seems a little less certain or less clear. Will Brussels reconsider its position? In fact, we will talk again on June 12th. But let’s go in order.

Unless the said text is amended, according to the draft provisions, all existing gas boilers in Europe will have to be removed from the market from 2029. In addition, the new law will require very strict technical and manufacturing standards that effectively prohibit the sale of gas boilers, including boilers powered by renewable gases. A minimum seasonal productivity cap will be introduced, which must be met from September 2029. Among the emerging hypotheses is actually to set a minimum efficiency threshold of 115% for boilers: this is a very ambitious limit with current technologies. nowadays, it will lead to the exclusion of some technologies that also use biogas or hydrogen in practical terms. On balance, with these measures, only electric heat pumps and hybrid devices with heat pump plus gas boiler will remain on the market.

On 12 June, those involved and opposed to the law will ask the European Commission to introduce less stringent thresholds for boilers that can include green alternatives that are equally sustainable but less restrictive for the manufacturing industry. One of the recommendations is to allow the use of hybrid devices, for example. In essence, Brussels will have to consider the possible existence of certain situations where there is no technical alternative to gas boilers: special cases can be considered where the new law could introduce exceptions to the 115% efficiency threshold. Therefore, the debate is still open due to fierce opposition from some countries, including Italy, as well as from those working in the gas and heating systems sector.

How much will it cost us to say goodbye to gas boilers?

Codacons are also added to the chorus of opposites. Saying goodbye to gas boilers is an unsustainable measure for families, according to the association. However, besides being a nuisance in terms of spending, for the consumers’ association the law may not even offer much environmental benefit. If the provision becomes reality, families that will have to replace the old gas boiler from 2029 will have to purchase a heat pump at a cost “ranging from 6k to 16,000 euros for purchase and installation”. “The chosen plant – says Codacons – is a huge expense both for the ever-increasing costs of these plants and for labor that is becoming increasingly expensive”.

It’s not just a matter of expense, though. According to the association, not all homes can be equipped with heat pumps, and energy performance in some homes may be below expected standards: space is needed to install the outdoor unit, and not all homes have the outside space to place it. . Also, if the house has not been renovated – so it does not have optimum insulation and insulation – and has traditional radiators instead of modern underfloor systems, the efficiency will drop a lot, negating the positive effects on the environment. If the European Union wants to say goodbye to gas boilers, it will have to “not only provide exemptions for homes that cannot install heat pumps, but also provide incentives and bonuses to help families overcome the costs associated with replacement.” It is the call of the association of “old systems”.

The fact is that the issue is also the subject of debate among technicians: There are conflicting views on these applicability limits. However, the most discussed issues also relate to the bulkier dimensions of some devices and the fact that in some cases systems equipped with radiators will not work as efficiently as technologies other than boilers. The solution may be to leave the overall requirement of 115% as the minimum efficiency threshold for the boilers; this indicates some limited situations in which it is possible to ignore. However, this does not please boiler manufacturers who want a wider exception with truly achievable efficiency limits for all appliances that can work with renewable gas mixtures.

The next few days will serve to understand which approach is considered truly sustainable for Brussels. Decision times will be tight, as in recent weeks the Commission has announced its intention to complete the revision of the Ecodesign regulation by the first quarter of 2024. text and to the European Parliament by autumn.

Source: Today IT

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