It is, but be aware that you will only be eligible for these payments if your installation is carried out by a Microgeneration Scheme Certified installer. Not all installers are, especially those installing solar thermal, which is set to be the most popular of installed technologies

Not getting this right, could cost you literally £000’s… If you are in any doubt about this, then seek independent advice….

The revolution to green the UK’s homes is being held back by a lack of qualified engineers who can fit renewable energy devices.

According to a report in the Sunday Times there are only 500 certified installers of renewable energy equipment such as photovoltaics, compared with around 120,000 registered gas engineers under the Gas Safe scheme.

Next month sees the start of the government scheme where households will be able to collect a fixed fee of up to 41p a kilowatt hour for electricity they generate from roof-mounted solar panels and sell on to the grid. Similar fees are available for other technologies including micro wind turbines.

However, Worcester Bosch which controls 28% of Britain’s boiler market and supplies solar panels and air and ground-source heat pumps says that the scheme is being hobbled by a chronic shortage of certified engineers who must fit the equipment for consumers to qualify for the payments.

The report said the cost and difficulty of registering for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), a three-year-old programme designed to prevent cowboy salesmen, was a huge disincentive for qualified gas engineers interested in entering the market for household renewable energy devices, which includes biomass boilers.

Worcester Bosch, which runs Britain’s largest gas engineer training scheme, estimates that more than 60,000 registered central heating engineers have expressed an interest in learning to fit renewable energy equipment, but hardly any of these go on to gain the MCS certificate

Barry Nutley of Viridis Energie Consultants warned ” with the lack of certified installers, and the anticipated increase in demand for solar PV, this could lead to a short term increase in prices?”

The UK’s biggest self-build and renovation event is crammed full of all the advice, ideas, inspiration and innovations you need to create the home of your dreams – all under one roof.

Don’t miss your opportunity meet over 450 of the UK’s leading self-build and renovation companies and view the latest products, services and trends for building, renovating, extending or improving your home. Plus with more independent advice and educational content than ever before you are sure to pick up new ideas. No matter what stage you are at, no matter how many projects you have done before there is something for everyone. From budget to built it’s all covered here!  

New & improved for 2010

• New More in-depth seminars than ever before – now up to 8 per day.
• New The energy efficiency seminar stream – the facts you need for creating a more energy efficient home
• New The Eco House by Oakwrights – Demonstrating products for a more eco friendly home
• New 30% of the specialist self build & renovation companies are exhibiting for the first time
• Improved  Independent advice areas – talk to the leading industry associations

Don’t forget…Bring copies of your house plans or details of your renovation or plot to the show to make the most out of your visit. Buy tickets to the show

And don’t forget to visit Viridis on stand M62!!

Currently, the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 includes a provision preventing local authorities from selling electricity generated from, for example, a council-owned wind farm.

But, under plans that were first mooted in last February’s Heat and Energy Savings Strategy, the department said that removing the provision could encourage the development of local renewables projects.

In a note accompanying the consultation, it said: “Allowing local authorities to sell electricity generated by them from renewable sources would encourage the development of local renewable electricity projects by those local authorities that are well-placed to undertake such projects either on their own or in partnerships.”

Under the proposals, local authorities would also be able to benefit from Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) or Feed-in Tariffs if their projects met the qualifying criteria for these policies.

In the consultation document, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) noted that some local authorities are now starting to consider developing renewable generation projects, either themselves or in partnership, as part of their role in addressing the challenges of climate change and meeting their commitments to sustainability.

Local authorities in Woking, Southampton, Birmingham and Oxford have already been examining renewable energy generation schemes (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).

DECC said that any changes as a result of the consultation would be made through secondary legislation – by DECC in respect of England and Scotland and by Welsh Ministers in respect of Wales.

LGA

The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed a measure it saw as offering more flexibility for councils to “get the job done,” although it noted that while some are already investigating the possibilities, some councils may not want to be involved in renewable schemes.

Abigail Burridge, senior policy officer at the LGA said: “Generally, the LGA is supportive of additional powers for local authorities to reduce their carbon emissions.

“This is about having additional freedom to be able to look at their local area and decide the best way to decrease carbon emissions and be able to install that infrastructure.”

The consultation closes on June 2.

Two weeks ago Guardian Money outlined the attractiveness of electricity generating panels as a result of the introduction of “feed-in” tariffs, which will pay households for the extra energy they produce. However, the installation cost – at around £12,500 – will put many people off.

Less off-putting are solar water heating systems, which cost some £4,000-£5,500 for a typical 2kW system and are likely to pay an annual return of around £500 for the next 20 years. But do make sure you’re not burnt by the significant number of cowboy installers working in this sector.

The government carrot is called the Renewable Heat Incentive and will come into force in April next year. It is aimed at encouraging far-sighted households to install technologies such as ground or air source heat pumps, biomass boilers and – the one likely to appeal to the greatest number of homes – solar thermal water heaters.

You can install it now, safe in the knowledge you’ll get the incentive payments – expected to be around £400 a year – in 14 months.

Solar thermal systems use solar collecting panels to absorb heat from the sun. The hot water is then pumped to a storage cylinder to heat its contents. Ideally you need a south facing roof – south-east or south-west works too, but not as efficiently.

Solar thermal panels should provide most of your hot water from April to September and contribute to raising your water temperature during the remaining months, while saving you up to £100 a year on bills. Solar panels are compatible with most hot water systems, although you may need a cylinder big enough to hold two days’ worth of hot water.

If you have a “combi” there are possible complications, and you’ll have to check with the manufacturer to see if it accepts pre-heated water.

The government is still consulting over its proposals. When it made the announcement, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), said it would pay households installing solar thermal 18p per kWh, though it is yet to work out how this will be calculated, given that it is impossible to accurately measure the output of a working solar thermal system.

On top of the annual £400 the government has indicated it will pay, households can expect lower energy bills. A solar water heater can provide up to half of your needs, reducing your heating bill by between £50 and £100 per year, depending on use. With careful management, you can get that figure up to 70%.

To get the “clean energy payments” as they are being termed, you have to fulfil certain criteria. You will only get the money if your system has been installed by a Microgeneration Certification Scheme approved installer, which is controversial because many small installing firms that have built successful renewables businesses are not MCS approved. In the past it has been expensive to become accredited.

Because the system has to be approved, this also appears to rule out the £400-a-year payments for those who are building their own systems. Many of the 100,000 solar water heaters already being used in UK homes are home-built affairs.

Also if you installed your system before July of last year, you will not be entitled to the payments.

David Matthews, chief executive of the Solar Trade Association, says the Renewable Heat Incentive will be the biggest thing to hit the renewables sector. However he questioned why the financial support for solar thermal was less than for other technologies.

The DECC has said it wants the return for those installing solar thermal technology to be around 6%, but it will give payments that equate to a return of 12% for those installing biomass boilers or heat pumps.

Meanwhile, if you have the money and a suitable roof or other place to site your panels, you can start planning your installation. Given that the DECC has yet to finalise how it is all going to work, and there’s the possibility of a change of government in May, it may be worth waiting a few months before you sign on the dotted line. That said, the Conservatives have indicated they support the policy, so you can start getting the brochures and working out if it works for you.

• Pressure is growing on the government to give households that have installed electricity-generating photo­voltaic panels the same access to generous feed-in tariffs as those fitting them now. Anyone putting these panels up on their roofs now will be paid 41.3p per kWh they produce, and the new tariff is expected to lead to thousands of new installations.

Early adopters are up in arms, because many will see their payments fall to 9p per kWh under the terms of the scheme. There is a petition on the No 10 website calling for the tariffs to be equalised. The Conservatives have said they will give all PV generators access to the higher feed-in tariffs if they win the next election.

Scheme turns up heat on installers

For many years unscrupulous sellers of solar thermal systems have used a lack of regulatory controls to rip off unsuspecting customers. As a result, it’s become difficult to find a reputable installer. For an example of what can go wrong, see this week’s Capital Letters column on page 10.

It hasn’t been helped by the fact that plenty of small firms, specialists in their field with many happy customers, have not felt the need to be approved by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) – until now. The Renewable Heat Incentive will effectively force many of them to sign up because households won’t get the £400-a-year payment unless they use an accredited installer. The MCS website (microgeneration-certification.org) lists approved installers; in future it will be easier and cheaper to become accredited, according to the Solar Thermal Association. Another way to find a reputable installer is to look on the excellent website yougen.co.uk, set up by Cathy Debenham, who lives in a ­­­­ low-carbon home in Devon.

The site describes how each technology works, the costs and any pitfalls. It also has a forum on which individuals can recommend installers they have used, all with an Amazon-style rating.

One problem with solar thermal is the huge range in prices offered by installers, as Debenham highlights. Researchers at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute analysed the prices of systems in receipt of Low Carbon Buildings Programme grants between 2006 and 2008: they ranged from £1,000 to £8,000. The researchers suggested the benchmark price for a 2kWh/year system was £4,000, though they now cost between £4,000 and £5,000.

Installation prices varied considerably. Even looking only at larger companies, there was a range from £2,790 to £4,650.

source-http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/feb/20/solar-water-heating-incentives

Advancements in the design of solar panels could make the renewable energy generators easier to install, according to an industry representative.

Researchers from America have devised a way of making flexible solar cells that use just one per cent of the material needed for conventional solar cells.

Silicon solar cells are currently made on brittle wafers of silicon which are a couple of centimetres thick.

This new technology would allow makers to use much less silicon and hence reduce the weight and production costs of the material.

It also offers a variety of benefits for the consumer.

Peter Moore of Viridis said: “The flexible silicon wires would enable easier installation and offer lighter solutions.”

For home use, Peter suggested the technology could be used in window tinting as “this would offer a dual solution for commercial buildings with large window facades”.

Further advice was given suggesting homeowners “should look at the technology available now in relation to the advantages of the feed-in tariffs or cash back schemes”.

Lets’s start with the most “popular” renewable-solar thermal (or solar for hot water)::

O.K. Let’s take an “average” sized system? 2 panels/24 tubes? Generating 1600kwh/annum (deemed?), and the home owner has GFCH paying £0.04/unit?

This is how it works:

Under the “proposed” figures, you will get paid £0.18 for each kwh you generate, in addition to any savings made? So:

1600 x £0.18= £288 (the annual payment) + 1600 x £0.04=£64 (the annual fuel saving) = £352.

The approximate cost of installation of this £4k. Giving a return on your investment of 8.8%. This is tax free!! Not bad when compared to the bank where ( a tax payer), would have recieved less than £4!!!

Now here’s the clever bit! Until the end of March 2011 there’s a £400 central grant available (increasing the return to 9.7%), and there are often additional local grants available -in some parts of Kent, there is a n additional £1500 available! (giving a whooping return of  16.7%! Not since Bernie Madhoff have we seen this level of return! But don’t worry this scheme has proper backing).

If you’re thinking of it, don’t wait, as these grants will not be available for ever!!!!!!!

Grants are available to charities, community groups and schools based in the city for micro generation schemes such as wind and solar projects and heat pumps that need some funding to make a start. The fund totaling up to £100,000 comes from the city council’s Area Based Grant Programme and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

Foundation is an innovative climate fund for the Northwest that helps local organisations to tackle climate change. Foundation will manage and administer the fund, applying its environmental expertise to assess the carbon benefit of each project proposed.

The project was officially launched by the city council’s assistant executive member for the environment, Councillor Phil Moffatt, Foundation’s Chief Officer and Mark Turner at KIND SEED Environmental Centre.

Councillor Moffatt, said: “Liverpool City Council is driving towards a low carbon city and wants to support our local community to come with us on this exciting journey.”

Mark Turner, Foundation’s Chief Officer said: “Foundation is especially interested to receive applications from groups working within the community who have a renewable power project that will deliver measurable carbon savings.”

“Our partnership with LCC is a first for Foundation and we can’t wait to start working in a city renowned for its pioneers and creative thinkers. We’re anticipating some real ground-breaking applications from groups in Liverpool that will help to make a significant contribution to delivering the region’s Climate Change Action Plan.”

Stephen Yip from the charity, KIND, added: “The KIND SEED centre is an innovative and exciting environmental education resource for both children and adults. We are pleased to host the launch of this new community renewal power fund and hope that it will encourage others to become more sustainable.”

For more information about the fund contact Foundation on 0161 237 3200 or visit www.climatefund.org.uk.

The Carbon Trust today announced that it has awarded its first interest-free loan of £500,000, the maximum amount that can be offered under the government-backed company’s Big Business Refit energy efficiency loan scheme.

The loan was provided to Bedford-based IT support company Blue Chip and has allowed the firm to install energy efficient evaporative cooling technology at its new five-acre datacentre site.

Brian Meredith, managing director at the company, said the cooling technology would cut indirect electricity use within the datacentre by 60 per cent, saving it £100,000 a year and allowing it to repay the loan within four years.

“The decision to take out the maximum loan amount was a no-brainer for us,” he said, adding that the application process had been straightforward, with the loan being processed and approved within two weeks.

The news came as the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) launched a campaign designed to encourage its members to take advantage of the Carbon Trust loan scheme.

Under the scheme, any small and medium-sized business that either has a turnover of less than £50m, or spends less than £500,000 a year on electricity and as a result is not eligible for the government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme, can qualify for interest-free loans of between £3,000 and £500,000.

The unsecured loans have to be invested in energy efficient equipment that has been approved by the Carbon Trust and must be repaid over four years.

“By replacing old, inefficient equipment, firms can dramatically cut costs and in many cases, improve productivity by between 20 and 30 per cent,” said David Frost, BCC director general. “For businesses that rely on energy-intensive equipment, borrowing big from the Carbon Trust to refit with energy-saving equipment can really pay off.”

The loans are also supported by a free energy efficiency assessment from the Carbon Trust, designed to help companies work out the areas where they can achieve the greatest savings. “We calculate how much a company will save from making the investment in new equipment, so they can make an informed investment choice based on realistic, projected savings,” explained Carbon Trust chief executive Tom Delay.

Alan Beresford, managing director of EcoCooling, which provided cooling technology to Blue Chip, said that IT companies in particular should take advantage of the Carbon Trust scheme. “Overcooling is one of the main causes of energy wastage in datacentres, server rooms and IT equipment,” he said. “The Carbon Trust’s interest-free loan scheme is an obvious way for many organisations to fund the installation of evaporative cooling.”

According to the Carbon Trust, more than 1,000 firms have borrowed £46m since the scheme was launched last April, delivering annual cost and carbon savings of £17.2m and 100,000 tonnes respectively. It said that companies taking out loans typically cut energy bills by between £14,000 and £130,000 a year.

source- Business Green..http://www.businessgreen.com/ ]]> http://www.viridisec.co.uk/2010/02/carbon-trust-awards-first-500k-loan-and-calls-for-more-applications/feed/ 1