Together, the UKDEA members schemes:

• Contain over 200 MW of low carbon generation plant (CHP, biomass, EFW etc)
• Deliver more than 1 TWh of heat each year
• Across energy networks which, if combined, would extend for more than 300km

Through Full and Associate membership, the UK District Energy Association’s aim is to represent current and potential owners, developers, consumers, partners, operators, product suppliers and interested parties involved with the District Energy sector throughout the UK.

The UKDEA welcomes new members so please be part of our District Energy network and apply for membership of this forward thinking Association today.

Prior to 2010, when the UK District Energy Association (UKDEA) was created, the decarbonisation of heat was not on the governments agenda and district heating was seen as a technology practiced by a very few niche organisations.

To rectify this, the partners, owners and operators of the largest District Energy schemes in the UK aligned themselves in the creation of an association, with the aim of not only promoting District Energy as a means to deliver significant carbon savings, but also to establish a direct link between the Government and the industry’s small market base.

The Association was launched by Greg Barker MP, formerly the Minister of State for Climate Change, on 24^th September 2010.

Since those early days the Association has grown dramatically in size from the six Founder Members to a membership which is rapidly approaching 150 organisations across the entire sector. We have also achieved our primary aim by ensuring that low carbon heat networks are firmly a central part of the Government’s agenda, as demonstrated by the significant year on year investment being made by BEIS across the Heat Networks Delivery Unit, the Heat Network Investment Project and the forthcoming Green Heat Networks Fund.

Whilst we were formed by those organisations who were involved with the UK’s largest District Energy schemes, over the first 10 years of the association we have expanded to include organisations ranging in size from the very largest to sole traders. We are not an “exclusive club” and welcome all organisations who are operating in or have an interest in the sector.

The majority of the Association’s  Founder Members were Local Authorities who wanted to create a new breed of association which was a not for profit, non-trade association that organisations from both the public and private sector of all sizes could join. We now have a wide range of members involved with schemes of all scale from community based ‘micro district energy’ schemes to city wide district heat energy networks. Our membership also includes a large number of organisations who supply services and products to the sector ranging from consultants and contractors to district heating pipe, HIU and meter manufacturers and suppliers.