29/07/2026
The first specification decision shouldn't be which heating technology to use
The biggest change in heating design over the next few years won't be a new product.
It will be a change in the questions we ask.
For years, specification has often started with the heating technology.
Increasingly, it needs to start with the property.
How much heat does the building actually lose?
How much hot water is required?
What electrical capacity is available?
Will solar PV or battery storage be installed?
What does the client want to achieve over the next 20 years?
As new-build homes become more thermally efficient and the Home Energy Model changes how performance is assessed, the "default" solution will become harder to justify.
Different properties will require different answers. In some cases, that may be an air source heat pump.
In others, it may be an electric boiler integrated with smart controls, hot water storage and other low-carbon technologies.
Good specification isn't about proving one technology is better than another. It's about selecting the solution that delivers the best outcome for that particular building.
That's why we believe whole-system design is becoming one of the most important skills in modern heating specification.
What changes are you seeing in your own projects? Are clients asking different questions than they were just a few years ago?