Microwave Boilers

As the world continues to transition away from fossil fuels for power generation and transportation, attention is now shifting toward making more sustainable heating systems as well. In colder climates, more gas is consumed for heating than for either electricity or vehicles, leaving the market for “green heating” wide open to technologies from electric immersion heaters to heat pumps to hydrogen-powered systems. In Britain, where the majority of residential heating systems are hydronic, gas boilers will be banned for new residential construction by 2025. Similar restrictions for new installations in existing homes will follow by the mid-2030s.

One alternative for hydronic heating systems is microwaves. When electrically dipolar molecules (like water) are exposed to a strong electromagnetic field, they will shift to align themselves with it. If that field oscillates (like microwaves do) the molecules will move too, and this creates heat.

But using a typical microwave magnetron in a boiler system is not practical. So one company has developed a solid state version that fits on a chip. When arranged in an array inside a boiler, they can be used to deliver hot water quickly, whenever it is needed. The pipes can also be made using microwave-sensitive materials to further improve efficiency. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to interface with existing controllers and piping. The company plans to begin testing in homes in 2022 and have product available for sale by 2024 in advance of the new legislation.