District heating in the UK: A Technological Innovation Systems analysis

District heating infrastructure could contribute to the UK's energy policy goals of decarbonisation, renewable energy deployment, tackling fuel poverty and ensuring energy security. However, while a number of schemes have been developed over the last decade, deployment of the technology remains limited. This paper adopts a Technological Innovation Systems framework to ask what the principal challenges are to significantly scaling up the deployment of DH in the UK. While district heating networks are inherently local infrastructures, they are positioned in regulatory and market contexts organised at larger spatial scales, making geography an important factor and coordination across spatial scales an important policy area for accelerated deployment.

► Deployment challenges for DH in the UK are analysed. ► A TIS scheme of analysis is used and adapted to local grid-based infrastructure. ► Local authorities play central entrepreneurial roles but face resource constraints. ► TIS functions are performed and influenced at and across local and national scales. ► Recent central government support has not stimulated investment by firms.