The UK 2050 Calculator Web Flash Excel Wiki
Register or sign in
This is a wiki Anyone can contribute, therefore we don't vouch for its accuracy.

Heat technology ternary diagram

The 2050 Calculator's heat sector translates users' choices into a one of a number of permutations of heat technology combinations. These are shown in the table below. The vertical axis is the heating technology. The horizontal access is the choice made in the calculator. The first letter refers to the 'home heating electrification choice', the second letter refers to the 'home heating that isn't electric choice'. The value in each cell is the fraction of the total heat supplied by that technology.

 Choice: AA DD DA BA DB BB DC CC CA CB CD AD AC AB BC
Gas boiler (old)
Gas boiler (new) 0.9 0.2
Resisitive heating 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.07
Oil-fired boiler
Solid-fuel boiler 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.15
Stirling engine μCHP 0.1 0.19 0.19 0.24
Fuel-cell μCHP 0.9 0.2
Air-source heat pump 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.58 0.18 0.25 0.14
Ground-source heat pump 0.3 0.2 0 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.25 0.2
Geothermal 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01
Community scale gas CHP 0.33 0.13 0.3 0.24 0.15
Community scale solid-fuel CHP 0.2 0.7 0.45 0.2 0.33 0.35 0.63 0.25
District heating from power stations 0.03 0.11 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.11 0.07 0.11

To help users understand the different technology mixes, we have generated some 'tenary diagrams':

  1. The first showing the trade-off between electric, individual & communal heating: Ternary diagram: electric, individual, communal
  2. The second showing the trade-off between electric, solid & gaseous fuels for heating: Ternary diagram: solid, gas, electric

The Excel file used to produce these is available here: Ternary diagram Excel file