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YouGen Blog
Three ways we could improve UK feed in tariffs
Posted by Matthew Rhodes on 22nd February 2010 at 9:17 pm
I am a stalwart supporter of feed in tariffs, and anticipate a revolution in UK microgeneration in the next few months as a result. Their introduction is long overdue. However, on Monday I sat through a lengthy discussion both of feed in tariffs (FiTs) and the proposed renewable heat incentiv…
Posted in: General, Combined heat & power, Heat pumps, Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Solar heat & hot water, Wind turbines
Renewable Heat Incentive consultation: YouGen's response
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26th April 2010 at 10:29 am
The Renewable Heat Incentive consultation closes today. Here is YouGen's response. If you want to respond yourself, you can email DECC's renewable financial incentives team. Key Issues We strongly ask you to reconsider your policy of excluding those who had systems installed prior to July …
Posted in: General, Biomass, Heat pumps, Solar heat & hot water
Uncertainty ahead as Low Carbon Building Programme is cut
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26th May 2010 at 12:31 pm
The Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP) grants scheme closed to new applications on Monday. We're calling on the Government to act quickly to eliminate the state of uncertainty facing consumers and the renewable heat industry as a result. The cut came as part of the Department of Energ…
Posted in: General, Biomass, Heat pumps, Solar heat & hot water
Renewable heat incentive: important, but with dangers
Posted by Gabriel Wondrausch on 17th June 2010 at 1:03 pm
The uptake of renewable heat technologies has really dropped off with the renewable heat incentive (RHI) still looming, but no confirmation of the final tariffs or criteria, and the recent removal of the LCBP grants. No doubt things will pick up once the RHI details have been announced there.…
Posted in: Biomass, Heat pumps, Solar heat & hot water
Renewable Heat Incentive: 'deeming' explained
Posted by Linn Rafferty on 22nd June 2010 at 10:53 am
In the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the calculation of how much will be paid for renewable heat production depends on the installation type, as follows: Small scale installation, such as in a home: each installation's entitlement is calculated by multiplying the payment per kW…
Posted in: General, Biomass, Heat pumps, Solar heat & hot water
RHI announcements delayed until February
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 13th January 2011 at 10:17 am
Those anxiously waiting for news of what's going to be included in the renewable heat incentive and what the tariff levels are will have to wait a bit long according to the following announcement that the Renewable Energy Association just circulated to members: Renewable Heat Incentive …
Posted in: General
Will Renewable Heat Premium Payments kick start the domestic market?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 11th July 2011 at 9:47 am
The government is putting up £15m for the renewable heat premium payments between September (probably) and October 2012 when the domestic version of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is due to start. In essence they are a grant to help with the capital cost of installation; but will they kick sta…
Posted in: General
How to maintain and service your ground source heat pump
Posted by John Barker-Brown on 3rd August 2011 at 9:03 am
The Government's microgeneration strategy states: "More work is required on understanding the durability of microgeneration installations, including their key components. We want consumers to be aware, at least in general terms, of the minimum requirements for aftercare service and maintenance for e…
Posted in: Heat pumps
Future of feed-in tariff to be announced next week
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 28th October 2011 at 6:10 am
"I haven't come here to kill the [feed-in] tariff scheme, I want to fix it, enhance it and put the whole industry on a sustainable, credible economic path to a bright and exciting future," said energy and climate change minister Greg Barker yesterday, speaking at the Solar Power UK conference in Bir…
Posted in: General
Renewable Heat Incentive for non-domestic generators is open for applications
Posted by Gilly Jones on 28th November 2011 at 5:51 pm
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Phase 1 for non-domestic generator is opened for applications. Heat is the biggest use of energy in the UK. Just under half of the UK's CO2 emissions are used on heating space and water. Heat in the UK is currently supplied predominantly by fossil fuels - with les…
Posted in: General
'World's first RHI' launch over-shadowed by FITs debacle
Posted by Stewart Boyle on 7th December 2011 at 10:08 am
The long-awaited Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) officially ‘opened for business’ on 28th November. With £864 million available for the cashback scheme to support biomass boilers, solar water heating systems, heat pumps and bio-methane projects, it should have been a day of great celebration…
Posted in: General
Solar is not just about the feed-in tariffs
Posted by Paul Hutchens on 9th December 2011 at 9:57 am
There has been much talk and debate about solar panels recently; most of it about solar PV and the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT). However, there is another game in town and it is potentially far larger than solar PV. Space and water heating in buildings accounts for nearly 70% of the energy consumed by the…
Posted in: Solar heat & hot water
How the non-domestic RHI (renewable heat incentive) works: your questions answered
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 12th December 2011 at 3:58 pm
Can anyone in the UK benefit? No – just non-domestic installations in England, Scotland and Wales. A domestic version is expected to start in October 2012. Installations completed and commissioned on or after 15 July 2009 can apply as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. Those installed pr…
Posted in: General
Why the RHPP has had little impact on the ground source heat pump market
Posted by John Barker-Brown on 9th January 2012 at 11:02 am
The renewable heat premium payment (RHPP) scheme was introduced on 1 August 2011. This Government scheme provides a grant to householders investing in renewable heat technologies – solar thermal panels, heat pumps and biomass boilers – and was introduced as an interim measure pending the launc…
Posted in: Heat pumps
Renewable Heat Premium Payments scheme is extended; RHI delayed
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 27th March 2012 at 10:35 am
The domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) remains elusive, as the government announced a second phase of the renewable heat premium payments (RHPP) scheme yesterday. The domestic RHI, which will reward people who switch to renewable sources of heat with regular payments for and anticipated 20 y…
Posted in: Biomass, Heat pumps, Solar heat & hot water
RHI makes some commercial solar hot water systems very attractive
Posted by Gabriel Wondrausch on 21st May 2012 at 9:39 am
Solar thermal was by far the most cost effective renewable energy technology on the market a few years ago. Since the government support schemes have been introduced, first for renewable electricity generating systems via the feed-in tariff and now through the renewable heat incentive (RHI) for non-…
Posted in: Solar heat & hot water
Financial help is availabe for wood burning boilers
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 21st May 2012 at 10:19 am
Q: Could you point us in the right direction in regards to having an external wood burning boiler installed (for heat and hot water), and would it be covered under a FIT scheme like our solar PV system? A: Interest in wood burning boilers - also known as biomass boilers - is on the increase…
Posted in: Biomass
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