With a government target of 2035 for all the UK’s electricity to be generated from renewable and low carbon sources, the BBC team explored a futuristic house used to test new home heating technologies in extreme conditions. From minus 12 degrees to the comfort of central heating, they get to grips with heat pumps:
. how are they installed,
. what it means for a family in Reading,
. question the installation costs and if the UK government grant is enough to help families transition from gas boilers to heat pumps.
, Michelle meets a community centre near Bristol who have built the UK’s largest wind turbine.
They also looked into how the electricity grid needs transforming to deliver enough power for the UK’s homes and businesses; met the gas company promoting hydrogen as a solution to home heating, and visits residents in Whitby in Ellesmere Port, who were going to be part of a hydrogen trial but have big concerns about costs and safety; investigated how oil companies are planning to produce hydrogen and if it’s a feasible option; explored cracks in the core of Heysham Nuclear Power station in Lancashire to understand what it means for the lifespan of the plant, visited Hinkley Point C to understand the complexities of building new nuclear power stations, and asked if technology from nuclear submarines could be a solution.
Watch the Interview (only available in the UK) »