Let’s gaze into our crystal ball for a second and imagine how we’ll heat our off grid homes a few years from now. The list of options for homeowners looking for alternatives to heating oil is growing year-by-year. Many of these options offer lower carbon emissions or the flexibility to integrate with renewable energy sources. Helping to reduce your carbon footprint and prepare for a future as governments become increasingly focused on hitting net-zero.
The future of heating your home
So where does this growing list leave the future of off-grid homes using heating oil? An attractive transitional solution is LPG, liquid petroleum gas, which produces fewer carbon emissions when burned, along with lower sulphur, nitrous oxides and ash. Installing LPG requires much less change to your existing heating infrastructure so are appealing to people who want to keep their homes warm for years to come without the costs of renovation. It can be used as a blended solution with renewable energy — including a host of renewable liquid gases that are under active development right now and are expected to be available to homeowners from 2024.
Renewable liquid gases coming in 2024 and beyond
For example, biopropane, a fuel that’s chemically identical to propane but that comes from biological feedstock. Because it’s identical to propane, no changes to your LPG infrastructure will be needed to begin using this renewable fuel. Availability for this at Flogas is expected to increase as we get closer to 2030, although shipments are already being received (since 2022) and we’re actively working on new production technologies. The great thing about biopropane is that it can drive up to a 90% reduction in carbon emissions.
Another alternative on the horizon is rDME and rDME blends which are similar to LPG, but which produce approximately 74% less carbon than fossil propane. rDME can be blended with propane with no changes required to an existing LPG infrastructure needed to adapt your home, plus it can be stored in the same LPG vessels – with perhaps only a few replaced seals and washers. There are multiple production technologies under development to supply the expected fuel needs for UK off-grid homeowners and product trials are due to begin in 2024.
Two other future fuels being developed for commercial use are turquoise hydrogen and green ammonia. Turquoise hydrogen involves a relatively new process that splits fossil propane into hydrogen and carbon black, and it’s expected to start being supplied from 2024. Meanwhile green ammonia is due in 2027, with Flogas partnering with Cardiff University to develop the boiler technology needed to make this a reality for businesses.
Replacing heating oil for the future
We can build a more pleasant and sustainable tomorrow by picking the right energy choices as they become available. For now, a good transition is investing in an LPG heating system that can blend with renewable liquid gases as they come to market.
Flogas understands the importance of reducing carbon emissions and tackling the challenge of climate change. That’s why we have a 2040 vision to transform off-grid Britain. Read more about it here.
