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Great British Refurb gets the thumbs up
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 21st April 2009 at 2:34 pm
Generating your own renewable energy, increased energy efficiency and whole-house eco-makeovers received the thumbs up from the UK public yesterday, according to new research. The survey aimed to establish what is needed for the public to take action to install renewable energy and generation and en…
Posted in: General, Energy efficiency
Electricity meters about to get smarter
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 13th May 2009 at 1:55 pm
A smarter grid, more suitable for transmitting renewable energy, is a step closer with the Government’s announcement on Monday that every home in the UK must have a smart meter installed by 2020.Smart meters transmit and receive information from your electricity or gas supplier in real time. This …
Posted in: General, Energy efficiency
Existing generators angry at feed-in cuts to income
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 15th September 2009 at 8:32 am
Feed-in tariffs are designed to incentivise people to invest in renewable sources of energy generation. Yet, the government's proposals will give much lower rates to existing microgenerators, leading to a cut in income for many. This seems a perverse move from government. The numbers of micro wi…
Posted in: General, Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Wind turbines
Low carbon UK is well down the pecking order
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 17th September 2009 at 11:35 am
How much does the government really care about shifting the UK to a low carbon economy? Not a lot is the only conclusion I can come to from its spending figures. Yesterday's Guardian published a wonderfully simple, easy to read, chart called the definitive atlas of UK government spending, created…
Posted in: General, Energy efficiency
Equal feed-in tariff for existing generation has heavyweight support
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 30th September 2009 at 10:10 am
Support for equal feed-in rates for those who already have small solar PV, wind turbines or hydro came from diverse parts of the renewable energy sector at yesterday's RegenSW conference in Bristol. Sponsor Christine Griffiths of Aeolus Power got her passionate call in early in the day - to be me…
Posted in: General, Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Wind turbines
Feed-in rate announcement may be delayed
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24th November 2009 at 4:07 pm
The much awaited results of the consultation on feed-in tariffs may take a little longer than hoped. Internal wrangling between government departments is to blame according to the Guardian, and it's not clear when we're going to find out. Ed Milliband had apparently hoped to have the policy i…
Posted in: General, Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Wind turbines
Solar PV industry uncertainty as grants pot runs out
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 4th December 2009 at 9:23 am
The solar industry faces another phase of uncertainty as the grants money to support installation of photovoltaic panels in public sector buildings and charities has run out again. The Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 grant pot was topped up with £35m earlier this year, of which £13m was …
Posted in: Solar electricity
500 households to try Pay As You Save schemes
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 1st February 2010 at 8:53 am
Talk on how to finance making your house more energy efficient has turned to action - that's the good news. The bad news is that it's a small scheme that will only reach about 500 households in five areas of England between December 2009 and April 2011. Households in Birmingham, Sunderland, Londo…
Posted in: General, Energy efficiency
Conservatives support fair treatment for all microgenerators
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 17th February 2010 at 9:07 am
If elected, the Conservatives will pay early adopters of microgeneration technologies the same rate of Clean Energy Cashback (the government's new financial incentive for renewable generation) as new installers according to a new campaigning website. Charles Hendry, the shadow minister for energy…
Posted in: General, Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Wind turbines
Warm homes, greener homes: the government's vision for 2020
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 3rd March 2010 at 9:32 pm
Reduced energy use, savings on energy bills and more comfortable homes in cold weather are the benefits claimed by government of its household energy management strategy, Warm Homes, Greener Homes launched on Tuesday at Ecobuild by Ed Miliband. Its aims are that: Every home, where practic…
Posted in: General, Energy efficiency
Renewable Heat Incentive is welcomed by industry
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 17th March 2010 at 10:42 am
Ambitious and far-reaching were just some of the words delegates used to welcome the Renewable Heat Incentive proposals at yesterday's consultation event organised by RegenSW. However, they said that more education about renewable heat is needed if the Renewable Heat Incentive is going to succeed in…
Posted in: General, Biomass, Heat pumps, Solar heat & hot water
Renewable Heat Incentive: A homeowners guide
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 22nd March 2010 at 2:09 pm
Heat is the biggest use of energy in the UK. Just under half of the UK's CO2 emissions and 60% of domestic energy bills are used on heating space and water. Heat in the UK is currently supplied predominantly by fossil fuels - less than 1% comes from renewable sources. The proposed renewable heat inc…
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
Energy efficiency is focus of the Coalition's Green Deal
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 25th June 2010 at 9:09 am
Domestic insulation is top of Chris Huhne's plans for A Green Deal for housing he said yesterday at the Economist UK Energy Summit. He also touched on the (much awaited) renewable heat incentive as he revealed measures in the pipeline from the self-acclaimed "greenest government ever". To summarise…
Posted in: Energy efficiency
Eco-renovation transforms Devon village hall
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 30th June 2010 at 9:02 am
With thick insulation, ground source heat pumps feeding underfloor heating, and solar panels on the roof to power the heat pump, Branscombe village hall in East Devon must be one of the most energy efficient in the country. However, managing an ambitious project like this wasn't an easy task. It …
Posted in: Energy efficiency, Heat pumps, Solar electricity
Can I get the feed-in tariff and a grant?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 7th July 2010 at 12:15 pm
Community groups and schools that received Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP) phase 2 grants have been told that if they want to receive the feed-in tariff they will have to pay the grant back. As many of them went ahead and installed in the belief that they would be entitled to the feed-in …
Posted in: Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Wind turbines
Early adopters and the feed-in tariff: an update
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 12th July 2010 at 10:05 am
The Conservative party promised, prior to the election, that early adopters of microgeneration will get the feed-in tariffs. Since the election the silence on the subject has been deafening. Until now. An early adopter has just sent me this letter from DECC: "As set out in the Coalition Progr…
Posted in: Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Wind turbines
Can Greg Barker, and his Green Deal, make insulation sexy?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 14th July 2010 at 10:56 am
Energy efficiency has been the poor relation of British energy policy, according to Greg Barker, minister for climate change in the coalition government. Speaking in the debate on energy efficiency on 30 June, he outlined how he plans to raise its status. He will: 1. Introduce t…
Posted in: General, Energy efficiency
Feed-in tariffs boost growth of UK solar panels
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 23rd July 2010 at 9:15 am
The feed-in tariff is expected to boost growth of solar panels on British roofs fivefold this year, and 30 times over by 2015 according to a report from Price Waterhouse Coopers. By 2015, the researchers estimate that 1,000 MW of electricity will be generated by solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Ev…
Posted in: Solar electricity, Green Electricity
Renewable heat incentive: to wait, or go ahead?
Posted by Roger Croft on 10th November 2010 at 9:57 am
Anyone considering a renewable heating technology such as: solar hot water, biomass, ground or air source heat pumps, may be best placed to wait for a detailed announcement on rates and technologies covered by the Renewable Heat Incentive. However, self builders, broken-down boilers…
Posted in: General
Future of feed-in tariff still uncertain
Posted by Howard Johns on 26th November 2010 at 10:38 am
The uncertainty surounding the future of feed-in tariffs continues after yesterday’s meeting between energy minister Greg Barker and representatives of the PV industry and other stakeholders. Its purpose was to discuss the implications of the comprehensive spending review on the scheme. He confirm…
Posted in: Solar electricity
Renewable heat incentive - the latest news
Posted by Howard Johns on 30th November 2010 at 1:05 pm
A policy document on the renewable heat incentive should be out by the end of the year. Room for negotiation around design and tariff levels is pretty much over and DECC will be seeking technical standards approval for the renewable heat incentive in January. The good response to the cons…
Posted in: Solar electricity
First review of feed-in tariff announced
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 8th February 2011 at 8:08 am
Energy secretary, Chris Huhne has announced a comprehensive review of the feed-in tariff to take place this year - a year earlier than scheduled. Rates are expected to stay the same until April 2012. Since the introduction of the feed-in tariff in 2010, more than 21,000 installations have been re…
Posted in: General, Solar electricity
Feed-in tariff review: an update
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 22nd February 2011 at 1:44 pm
Concern that large-scale solar is set to take a significant quantity of the set amount of funding is the main driver of the feed-in tariff review, according to RegenSW chief executive Merlin Hyman, who recently met Greg Barker MP, the minister responsible for feed-in tariffs at DECC. Barker is de…
Posted in: General
Has the purpose of the feed-in tariff changed?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 23rd March 2011 at 12:07 pm
Do you know what the purpose of the feed-in tariff is? I thought that I did. I thought that it was about lowering the country's carbon emissions, to help us meet our EU carbon emission reduction targets. But, apparently not. According to Alasdair Grainger, the DECC official speaking at yes…
Posted in: General
Is Greg Barker looking for other ways to incentivise solar?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 13th June 2011 at 2:01 pm
Greg Barker (minister for climate change) probably thought he was having a nice night off when he agreed to help present a prize at this year's Observer Ethical Awards. But when I saw him heading in my direction I couldn’t resist putting a question or two to him. He must have had a long day justif…
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Small companies in danger of being excluded from Green Deal delivery
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16th June 2011 at 1:22 pm
There's concern that the Green Deal will be the preserve of a few big companies, unless its structure is carefully designed to let small companies in. This was one of the issues highlighted at a debate on the Green Deal at yesterday's Ashden Awards conference. Plain speaking was the order of …
Posted in: Energy efficiency
What is the aim of the feed-in tariff? And what do you think it should be?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24th June 2011 at 12:20 pm
Ask 10 people what the aim of the feed-in tariff is, and you'll probably get 10 different answers, at least that's the impression I got at this week's MicrogenerationUK conference. DECC officials were speaking about the renewable heat incentive and the feed-in tariff at a session on financing…
Posted in: General, Hydro electricity, Solar electricity, Wind turbines
How to protect yourself against feed-in tariff cuts
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26th October 2011 at 4:55 am
It's generally accepted that the rates of return on the feed-in tariff are much more generous than was planned and that a cut is due (although there's much debate about how big that cut should be). Until recently, the reduction was expected to take place from 1 April 2012. Suddenly the rumour-mil…
Posted in: Solar electricity
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
What we want for Christmas from Santa (aka Greg Barker)
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 22nd December 2011 at 11:07 am
This week has got progressively worse and worse for DECC (the department for energy and climate change) as all its green policies came under fire. First, Adair Turner, the chair of the Committee on Climate Change published an open letter to Energy Secretary Chris Huhne criticising the low ambitio…
Posted in: Solar electricity
Solar PV still in limbo as DECC appeals High Court decision
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 5th January 2012 at 10:35 am
The Department of Energy and Climate Change yesterday lodged an appeal on the High Court's decision to allow a judicial appeal against the government's proposals to cut the feed-in tariff for solar PV. DECC had proposed that a cut off date of 12 December 2011 for the reductions in tariff (from 43…
Posted in: Solar electricity
Government loses feed-in tariff appeal, but uncertainty continues
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26th January 2012 at 9:54 am
While the government failed to overturn last month's ruling that its rushed cuts to the feed-in tariff for solar PV are unlawful yesterday, the uncertainty over the rates still exists. As soon as the unanimous verdict was announced in the Court of Appeal, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climat…
Posted in: Solar electricity
Fiddling the feed-in tariff: prosecutions will follow...
Posted by John E Martin on 8th February 2012 at 9:34 am
It has become apparent that a number of companies have committed fraud by submitting feed-in tariff (FIT) applications (or getting the consumer to do so) without actually having installed the equipment. This has clearly been driven by the change of FIT rates announced and the eligibility date…
Posted in: Solar electricity
Feed-in tariff changes confirmed
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 9th February 2012 at 12:21 pm
The government's response to phase 1 of the consultation on solar PV feed-in tariff rates was published this morning. The feed-in tariff rates The 21p rate of feed-in tariff has been confirmed for solar panel installations of up to and including 4kW with an eligibility date on or after…
Posted in: Solar electricity
New proposals for the solar PV feed-in tariff and what they mean for microgenerators
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 9th February 2012 at 5:19 pm
Last year the government announced that the feed-in tariff rates for solar PV would be cut in half from 1 April. Today it announced that it plans to make two more significant cuts in rates this year. The consultation on cost control for solar PV FITs has some good ideas for the future of the sola…
Posted in: Solar electricity
Feed-in tariff consultation offers hope for community energy projects
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 10th February 2012 at 3:53 pm
The government is seeking views on how to define 'community' microgeneration installations, and how those who fall into the new definition could benefit from the feed-in tariff. It's looking at three areas in its consultation, announced yesterday: social enterprise, charities and social housing and…
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Solar PV does count towards new energy efficiency criteria
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 21st February 2012 at 10:58 am
Buildings must meet strict energy efficiency criteria from 1 April to qualify for the full level of feed-in tariff. When the government announced the change earlier this month it was not clear whether or not the solar PV installation would count towards the Energy Performance Certificate level D or …
Posted in: Energy efficiency, Solar electricity
DECC appeal to Supreme Court extends uncertainty
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24th February 2012 at 9:47 am
The confusion over feed-in tariffs continues, as the Government applied to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal against the High Court's decision on Tuesday. A DECC (department of energy and climate change) spokesperson said: "We respectfully disagree with the Court of Appeal’s decision on fee…
Posted in: Solar electricity
Response to feed-in consultation will make a real difference
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 7th March 2012 at 11:33 am
"This is a genuine consultation," says Alex Weir, senior policy advisor, feed-in tariff review, DECC. "We are really interested to know what the costs [of installing solar PV] are and how they are changing. It is in everyone's interests that costs and tariffs come down together." Speaking at the …
Posted in: Solar electricity
Six things to put in your response to the feed-in tariff consultation
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16th March 2012 at 12:39 pm
Government will take note this time, so make sure you respond to the current consultations on the future of the feed-in tariff, says Solar Trade Association PV specialist Ray Noble. "Because they already had an overspent budget to defend, they didn't take notice of last October's consultation," …
Posted in: Solar electricity
Legal battle over solar feed-in tariff ends in defeat for DECC
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26th March 2012 at 11:31 am
Solar installations made between 12 December 2011 and 3 March 2012 will get the higher rate of feed-in tariff (43.3p for up to 4kW systems) as the Supreme Court rejected DECC's appeal on Friday. The industry has been dogged with uncertainty since the legal battle began in December last year. Frie…
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When is an EPC not required for solar PV feed-in tariffs
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 27th March 2012 at 2:38 pm
The new energy efficiency requirement for the feed-in tariff (FiTs) for solar PV kicks in on 1 April 2012. This means that the full FITs rate is only available for buildings which have an Energy Performance Certificate of band D or above. This is currently a bit less than half the UK housing stock. …
Posted in: Solar electricity
Trust individuals and take more imaginative approach to consumer protection
Posted by Matthew Rhodes on 30th March 2012 at 9:50 am
When markets have large numbers of small businesses, all innovating and desperate to compete and survive, consumer protection becomes much harder. DECC (the department of energy and climate change) can monitor and fine the big six utilities relatively easily, but it’s much harder to control a mark…
Posted in: General
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