SSE has released Heat Network Print, a digital planning toolkit for low-carbon district heating projects in the UK. The toolkit combines interactive PDFs, GIS map layers, and carbon calculators to help local authorities and developers design heat networks. It includes standard layouts for energy centers, pipe routing options, and heat demand estimates based on local housing types, all aligned with UK government guidance on decarbonizing building heat. The toolkit integrates carbon and cost calculators that use official UK emissions factors to compare district heating against gas boilers. It also supports live workshops where planners can adjust assumptions and see updated CO2 savings and lifecycle costs. SSE uses this as a business development tool to accelerate project pipelines for low-carbon heat networks, which are a growing part of the company's infrastructure strategy.
