New Technical Standards for Heat Networks

The new technical standards code for heat networks is scheduled to be launched in 2025 and will impose new obligations on heat networks, but the standards have not been consulted upon yet.

The Heat Networks Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) consultation is expected be published in summer 2024 and will give heat network owners, developers, operators and customers the opportunity to shape the future regulation including the list of networks exempt to comply.

HNTAS aims to improve the transparency, reliability and efficiency of the heat networks, and will set minimum standards against which each network needs to be assessed to prove compliance. Whereas for new heat networks the expectation is that standards will align with on CP1, for existing heat networks the performance requirements that will be imposed are still unclear.

Irrespective of the uncertainty around what the new technical standards will look like, it reminds us that is good practice to analyse the efficiency of the heat networks and look at ways to optimise their operation, and to improve transparency towards the end customer. This will also help you to be ready for the incoming Heat Network Consumer Protection Regulations.