Community heating

The London Plan, Published by the Mayor of London in March 2016, defines community heating as: ‘The distribution of steam or hot water through a network of pipes to heat a large area of commercial, industrial or domestic buildings or for industrial processes. The steam or hot water is supplied from a central source such as a heat-only boiler or a combined heat and power plant.'

Combined heat and power quality assurance (CHPQA) guidance notes, published by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy in 2014, defines Community Heating (CH) as: ‘…the centralised provision of heat to a number of residential, institutional, commercial, industrial or other sector buildings, premises, sites and users typically for the purpose of providing hot water, space heating or cooling and can include the provision of process steam. CH Schemes may also provide heat users with associated electricity. Community Heating includes both of what are frequently referred to as district heating and communal heating.’

It defines Residential Community Heating (RCH) as: '...the centralised supply of heat, predominantly for Residential Users for space heating and domestic hot water. Residential Use is defined by the Finance Act 2000 and the term Residential User is defined in the CHPQA Guidance Notes.'

Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments, defines a community heating system as: ‘A system that supplies heat from a central source to more than one dwelling or premises within a single building.’

See also: Communal heating.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• A technical guide to district heating (FB 72).
• Boiler.
• Combined heat and power.
• Community energy network.
• District energy networks.
• Heat network.
• Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill.
• Heat sharing network.
• London plan.
• National heat map.
• Water source heat map.

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