Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Conservative’s Propose ‘Green’ Investment Bank
With the general election just weeks away, the Conservative party under David Cameron has reiterated its support for green energy and has produced a paper outlining its proposals for a shake up of energy production in the UK. The green paper titled ‘Rebuilding Security’ announces a number of measures designed to help capitalise new and expensive green technologies.
In a budget statement undoubtedly designed to garner support from renewable industry insiders and environmental groups alike, the Conservative party leader is leading a project which will see the creation of a green investment bank with around £2 billion to invest in new, green technologies and help to grow the fledgling industry in the face of tightened lending from the traditional banking sector.
With investment essential to help the UK carbon neutral economy take off, the Conservative’s announcement has been met with encouraging assent from those it is meant to appeal to.
Director general of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Tom Foulkes welcomed the news as being key to the success of the UK green sector,
“Clearly, transforming the energy sector will require massive investment in new and upgraded infrastructure. A Green Investment Bank will go a long way towards funding the development of new technologies, but there remains a need for a secure method of funding for the long-term investment in energy infrastructure.”
Certainly, with the election expected in May green issues are expected to feature heavily with issues such as the the Clean Energy Cash Back scheme and the Copenhagen summit making headlines in recent months. Some of the key lobbies to appease ahead of the May ballot will of course be the environmental groups who this time are behind the green paper’s plans for the green energy overhaul.
Andy Atkins, Director of Friends of the Earth commented that,
“A Green Investment Bank is desperately needed to fund the replacement of the UK’s outdated fossil-fuel energy infrastructure with the clean energy technologies of the 21st century, and to create new green industries and jobs.”
With the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) bringing in the feed-in tariff on April 1, the ante has certainly been ‘upped’ with regards to real policy designed at tackling climate change and achieving targets on carbon emission reduction. With the Gordon Brown Labour government making positive moves towards a sustainable energy economy, the opposition will have their work cut out in order to show that they are also capable (and indeed willing) to see the development of a strong green technology industry in the UK.
Solar feed in Tariff
In a budget statement undoubtedly designed to garner support from renewable industry insiders and environmental groups alike, the Conservative party leader is leading a project which will see the creation of a green investment bank with around £2 billion to invest in new, green technologies and help to grow the fledgling industry in the face of tightened lending from the traditional banking sector.
With investment essential to help the UK carbon neutral economy take off, the Conservative’s announcement has been met with encouraging assent from those it is meant to appeal to.
Director general of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Tom Foulkes welcomed the news as being key to the success of the UK green sector,
“Clearly, transforming the energy sector will require massive investment in new and upgraded infrastructure. A Green Investment Bank will go a long way towards funding the development of new technologies, but there remains a need for a secure method of funding for the long-term investment in energy infrastructure.”
Certainly, with the election expected in May green issues are expected to feature heavily with issues such as the the Clean Energy Cash Back scheme and the Copenhagen summit making headlines in recent months. Some of the key lobbies to appease ahead of the May ballot will of course be the environmental groups who this time are behind the green paper’s plans for the green energy overhaul.
Andy Atkins, Director of Friends of the Earth commented that,
“A Green Investment Bank is desperately needed to fund the replacement of the UK’s outdated fossil-fuel energy infrastructure with the clean energy technologies of the 21st century, and to create new green industries and jobs.”
With the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) bringing in the feed-in tariff on April 1, the ante has certainly been ‘upped’ with regards to real policy designed at tackling climate change and achieving targets on carbon emission reduction. With the Gordon Brown Labour government making positive moves towards a sustainable energy economy, the opposition will have their work cut out in order to show that they are also capable (and indeed willing) to see the development of a strong green technology industry in the UK.
Solar feed in Tariff
Monday, 1 March 2010
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
CLOSURE OF LOW CARBON BUILDING PROGRAMME PHASES 1 and 2 TO NEW APPLICATIONS FOR ELECTRICAL MICROGENERATION TECHNOLOGIES
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP), Phase-1 and Phase-2 has closed to all new applications for grants for electrical microgeneration as of 5pm, Wednesday 3rd February, which follows the publication of the Government's consultation on the Feed-In Tariffs (FIT's).
The LCBP Programme has been running since 2006 and has provided a firm basis for the manufacture, assembly, supply and installation of microgeneration technology across the UK with over 14,500 grants provided to householders and 3,000 grants provided to schools, churches, communities and other not-for-profit organisations to date.
The publication of the of the FIT's consultation on Monday 1st February in advance of the FITs tariff introduction, scheduled for April 2010, will provide additional certainty for the industry to continue to develop and expand.
The total funding for LCBP is finite and the closure to applications for electrical microgeneration technologies will allow the remaining un-allocated funding to be focussed on thermal microgeneration in the run-up to the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentives (RHI's) scheduled for April 2011.
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme is the £131 million grants programme providing assistance for the purchase and installation of both electrical and thermal microgeneration technology for householders under Phase-1 and schools, churches communities and other not-for-profit organisations under Phase-2.
The LCBP Programme has been running since 2006 and has provided a firm basis for the manufacture, assembly, supply and installation of microgeneration technology across the UK with over 14,500 grants provided to householders and 3,000 grants provided to schools, churches, communities and other not-for-profit organisations to date.
The publication of the of the FIT's consultation on Monday 1st February in advance of the FITs tariff introduction, scheduled for April 2010, will provide additional certainty for the industry to continue to develop and expand.
The total funding for LCBP is finite and the closure to applications for electrical microgeneration technologies will allow the remaining un-allocated funding to be focussed on thermal microgeneration in the run-up to the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentives (RHI's) scheduled for April 2011.
The Low Carbon Buildings Programme is the £131 million grants programme providing assistance for the purchase and installation of both electrical and thermal microgeneration technology for householders under Phase-1 and schools, churches communities and other not-for-profit organisations under Phase-2.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Cash Rewards for Low Carbon Electricity and Heating
Households and communities who install generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels will from April be entitled to claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband today announced the feed-in tariff (FITs) levels and also published a blueprint for a similar scheme to be introduced in April 2011 to incentivise low carbon heating technologies. The renewable heat incentive (RHI) will be a world first.
The schemes are designed to bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon.
Ed Miliband said:
“The guarantee of getting an income on top of saving on energy bills will be an incentive to householders and communities wanting to make the move to low carbon living.
“The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past.
“It will also change the outlook for a range of industries, in particular those in the business of producing and installing small scale low carbon technology.”
From 1 April householders and communities who install low carbon electricity technology such as solar photovoltaic (pv) panels and wind turbines up to 5 megawatts will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves. The level of payment depends on the technology and is linked to inflation.
They will get a further payment for any electricity they feed into the grid. These payments will be in addition to benefiting from reduced bills as they reduce the need to buy electricity. The scheme will also apply to installations commissioned since July 2009 when the policy was announced.
A typical 2.5kW well sited solar pv installation could offer a homeowner a reward of up to £900 and save them £140 a year on their electricity bill.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband today announced the feed-in tariff (FITs) levels and also published a blueprint for a similar scheme to be introduced in April 2011 to incentivise low carbon heating technologies. The renewable heat incentive (RHI) will be a world first.
The schemes are designed to bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon.
Ed Miliband said:
“The guarantee of getting an income on top of saving on energy bills will be an incentive to householders and communities wanting to make the move to low carbon living.
“The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past.
“It will also change the outlook for a range of industries, in particular those in the business of producing and installing small scale low carbon technology.”
From 1 April householders and communities who install low carbon electricity technology such as solar photovoltaic (pv) panels and wind turbines up to 5 megawatts will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves. The level of payment depends on the technology and is linked to inflation.
They will get a further payment for any electricity they feed into the grid. These payments will be in addition to benefiting from reduced bills as they reduce the need to buy electricity. The scheme will also apply to installations commissioned since July 2009 when the policy was announced.
A typical 2.5kW well sited solar pv installation could offer a homeowner a reward of up to £900 and save them £140 a year on their electricity bill.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Generate your Own Electricity with Solar PV
Direct Gov Explains Solar PV;
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are often known as solar panels, and use energy from the sun to create electricity. PV requires only daylight, rather than direct sunlight, to generate electricity.
How does it work?
When light shines on a solar panel, it creates an electric field across layers of silicon in the cell, causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity is. Power can be used straight away or linked back into the power grid.
What’s involved?
You can use PV systems for a building with a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south, as long as no other buildings or large trees overshadow it. If the roof surface is in shadow for parts of the day, less electricity will be produced.
Solar panels are not light and the roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the panels are placed on top of existing tiles.
Solar panels come in a variety of shapes and colours, including:
• grey 'solar tiles' that look like roof tiles
• transparent panels that you can use on conservatories or glass to provide shading as well as generate electricity
Planning permission
You may have to get planning permission to fit a PV system, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings. Always check with your local authority about planning issues before you have a system installed. Obtaining planning permission after the system is in place can be difficult and expensive.
How much does it cost?
For the average domestic system, costs are around £5,000 to £8,000 per kilowatt (kW) including installation. Most domestic systems are between 1.5 and 3kW and can produce around half a domestic property’s electricity requirements.
Solar tiles cost more than conventional panels, and panels that are integrated into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top. If you intend to have major roof repairs carried out, it may be worth considering PV tiles, as they can offset the cost of roof tiles.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are often known as solar panels, and use energy from the sun to create electricity. PV requires only daylight, rather than direct sunlight, to generate electricity.
How does it work?
When light shines on a solar panel, it creates an electric field across layers of silicon in the cell, causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity is. Power can be used straight away or linked back into the power grid.
What’s involved?
You can use PV systems for a building with a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south, as long as no other buildings or large trees overshadow it. If the roof surface is in shadow for parts of the day, less electricity will be produced.
Solar panels are not light and the roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the panels are placed on top of existing tiles.
Solar panels come in a variety of shapes and colours, including:
• grey 'solar tiles' that look like roof tiles
• transparent panels that you can use on conservatories or glass to provide shading as well as generate electricity
Planning permission
You may have to get planning permission to fit a PV system, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings. Always check with your local authority about planning issues before you have a system installed. Obtaining planning permission after the system is in place can be difficult and expensive.
How much does it cost?
For the average domestic system, costs are around £5,000 to £8,000 per kilowatt (kW) including installation. Most domestic systems are between 1.5 and 3kW and can produce around half a domestic property’s electricity requirements.
Solar tiles cost more than conventional panels, and panels that are integrated into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top. If you intend to have major roof repairs carried out, it may be worth considering PV tiles, as they can offset the cost of roof tiles.
Community Energy Grants
Not-for-profit groups can apply for grants of up to £1 million towards the cost of installing renewable energy systems for generating electricity. Technologies like biomass, solar panels and wind turbines are becoming increasingly popular. These effective alternatives to fossil fuels can help reduce carbon emissions and fuel bills.
The microgeneration grant
Grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies are available to public sector buildings (including schools, hospitals, housing associations and local authorities) and charities. The grants cover a proportion (up to 50 per cent) of the cost of installing the technologies, and you can claim up to £1 million per site.
Grants are provided by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). They are delivered through the Building Research Establishment as part of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 (LCBP2).
Grant levels for the not-for-profit sector vary according to technology and are applied to total installation costs;Solar photovoltaics installations can claim back 50 per cent of the cost.
The microgeneration grant
Grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies are available to public sector buildings (including schools, hospitals, housing associations and local authorities) and charities. The grants cover a proportion (up to 50 per cent) of the cost of installing the technologies, and you can claim up to £1 million per site.
Grants are provided by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). They are delivered through the Building Research Establishment as part of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 (LCBP2).
Grant levels for the not-for-profit sector vary according to technology and are applied to total installation costs;Solar photovoltaics installations can claim back 50 per cent of the cost.
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