The next government’s blueprint for green energy

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

REAThe next government will be responsible for the UK succeeding – or failing – in meeting its 2020 renewable energy targets. It could also be the government that turns the budding renewable energy industry into the main economic engine for creating jobs and growth in the energy sector and reducing the UK’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.

The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has set out a blueprint for the next government, clearly outlining the key ‘manifesto asks’ for all the REA’s key technologies across renewable heating, power and transport fuels. A common theme across all sectors is the need for clear, stable policy. Matched with ambitious government plans, this will create jobs, investment and growth, and help the UK catch up in the global clean energy race (in which it currently lags behind, sitting 26th out of 28 in the EU renewables league table).

In its recent report, REVIEW, the REA found that policies put in place to date towards the 2020 renewable energy targets have generated £30 billion of investment, sustaining over 100,000 jobs. It also forecasted that achieving the 2020 targets would generate a further £64 billion of investment, sustaining a total of 400,000 jobs.

REA chief executive, Dr Nina Skorupska, said:

“From clean power infrastructure to Zero Carbon Homes and from heat networks to sustainable transport, this is the most comprehensive guide a government could wish for if it is seeking to maximise the value of this young, vibrant and innovative industry.

“Looking out to 2020, this manifesto sets out how the government can keep up the progress on renewable electricity, and accelerate the roll-out of renewable heating technologies and transport fuels. Certainty beyond 2020 is also vital to enable industry to invest in innovation, expansion, skills and supply chains.”

MPs have already been presented with copies of the REA Manifesto at a series of breakfast seminars the REA has run. The REA Manifesto builds on the Action for Renewables campaign, which sets six top line key asks for the next government:

  1. Support the Climate Change Act to keep us on course to meet our carbon commitments and back global efforts to tackle climate change
  2. Set a new renewables target for 2030 of 30% of UK energy
  3. Back the Independent Committee on Climate Change’s recommendation to set a binding target for low carbon electricity by 2030
  4. Fund the Renewable Heat Incentive for new applications after 2016
  5. Boost the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to reach the ten per cent renewable energy target for transport by 2020
  6. Reform the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to ensure the market takes account of all sectors’ polluting cost of carbon emissions.

The REA will continue to work with fellow trade associations and other stakeholders to make the case for growing the renewable energy economy in the run-up to the general election.

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

FMB on Labour’s “war on cold homes”

Posted on by Posted in Heating

waroncoldLabour’s announcement that it would provide interest free loans for energy efficiency work to one million households is a welcome step to address the failures of the Green Deal, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Shadow Environment Minister Caroline Flint delivered a speech outlining her plans to “declare war on cold homes” at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester.

If Labour is in power after the next election, Ms Flint has promised the following:

  • Half a million home energy reports a year – so households know how and where they can save money
  • At least 200,000 low-income homes a year super-insulated, saving over £270 a year off energy bills
  • One million interest-free loans for energy efficiency improvements in the next Parliament
  • New standards for landlords to improve cold homes pledges, as part of biggest push on insulation in a generation
  • Save the average family £270 a year on their energy bill
  • Freezing energy bills for 18 months
  • Energy efficiency designated a national infrastructure priority under Labour.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said:

“Our housing stock is among the oldest and least energy efficient in Europe and Labour recognises the urgent need to retrofit our existing homes. If we cannot tackle this problem, we will not halt the rise in fuel poverty and we will not meet our 80% carbon reduction targets by 2050.

“The Green Deal, as it currently stands, has little financial appeal to most households, precisely because of the interest rates charged. The package of measures announced by Labour yesterday, including focusing ECO funding on low income homes and bringing the private rented sector up to scratch, are good first steps towards making energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority.”

However, given the scale of the challenge, a future Labour government will need to be much more bold, Mr Berry continued.

“There are 26 million homes in the UK, 85% of which will still be in use in 2050. The simplest and most effective way of incentivising all home owners to continue to invest in the ongoing improvement of their homes is to adopt a lower 5% VAT rate for housing renovation and repair work,”

“This one measure would bring about more than £1 billion in extra energy efficiency work over the course of the next Parliament and is the surest, simplest way of delivering the greener homes we need, while also boosting economic growth and creating thousands of jobs.”

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , ,

New NOx standard applauded by OFTEC

Posted on by Posted in Health and Safety, Heating

OFTEC awards 2014A new EU standard that limits Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emission levels from boilers has been issued, following lobbying from the Oil-Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) and other industry bodies.

The revised standard, outlined in the Ecodesign Directive, gives UK boiler manufacturers until 2022 to develop a new generation of oil boiler that will meet the more stringent requirements.

Throughout the drafting of the Ecodesign legislation, which included a consultation period with industry, the UK and other Member States assumed NOx levels would be measured using the latest standard EN 267:2009 +A1:2011.

However, in May 2014, when the calculation methods were published, an earlier version of the standard (EN 267:2009) had been referenced. The difference between the two standards influences results by approximately 28mg/kWh and so testing against the withdrawn EN 267:2009 standard would have meant that manufacturers were forced to develop appliances with a lower NOx limit (92mg/kWh) in order to comply.

NOx emissions as low as 92mg/kWh can only be achieved with a blue flame burner, rather than the yellow flame burners currently in use, therefore oil boilers would need to be redesigned and technicians retrained to maintain these new products.

The Oil-Firing Technical Association (OFTEC), the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and later the Department of Energy & Climate Change, successfully lobbied to reverse this decision and as a result, the final version of the calculation methods states that NOx levels from kerosene burning appliances will be measured using the latest standard EN 267:2009 +A1:2011.

OFTEC technical director Paul Rose (pictured) said:

“The EU’s decision is a major win for the oil heating industry, which will now preserve the use of yellow flame burners, subject to meeting other Ecodesign requirements, for at least another eight years. This should provide sufficient time for oil boiler manufacturers to develop appliances which emit lower NOx levels for future use and for technicians to acquire the necessary skills to maintain these.”

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

How clued up is Britain about energy issues?

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

lightbulbMAINA recent survey has thrown light on how much the British public really knows about energy.

The survey of 2,058 British adults, conducted by polling consultancy ComRes on behalf of the National Energy Foundation (NEF), found that:

  • Only half of those surveyed correctly identified which type of light bulb uses the least energy (LED) and 35% incorrectly thought that low voltage halogen lights use the least
  • Only one in 10 adults say they know how much energy their workplace uses, while eight out of 10 believe that private employers and the government should provide training and education to teach the public to use energy more efficiently. This compares to the six in 10 who believe that technology will solve our energy problems
  • Although 58% of British adults say they feel well-informed about energy issues, 59% also don’t know that the majority of the UK’s electricity supply comes from fossil fuels.

The survey was commissioned as background to the launch of the NEF’s ‘Working together towards an energy-literate UK’ programme.

Kerry Mashford, chief executive of the NEF, said:

“Improving the use of energy in buildings is the National Energy Foundation’s overarching objective. Over the past few months, we’ve been giving some serious thought to the big energy issues facing the UK, with a view to achieving significant impact in terms of reducing energy consumption, improving energy security and reducing fuel poverty.

“These survey results confirm that action needs to be taken to inform and empower individuals and organisations.”

On Wednesday 17 September, the NEF held a reception at Dame Mary Archer’s London penthouse to announce the full results of the survey and share ideas to address the issues raised.

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,

Housing minister calls for an increase in use of prefabrication

Posted on by Posted in Construction

brandonlewisHousing minister Brandon Lewis has called on house-builders to increase their use of prefabrication and off-site construction to speed up the supply of ‘affordable’ new homes.

In a speech to the National Housing Federation’s annual conference yesterday he said that the government was in strong support of prefabrication but the UK industry was lagging behind mainland Europe.

The minister said:

“I want the whole housing industry to consider how they can use innovative construction methods,”

“Offsite construction not only creates high quality, affordable homes, it also delivers them quickly.”

Mr Lewis cited projects by Accord and Mar City in Walsall.

“Last month in Walsall I saw two family homes being built in a day by the Accord Group. The parts for these homes were made by local people in Accord’s purpose-built factory, right across the road from the 40 home brownfield development site.

“And just down the road the Regents Wharf development, built by Mar City, is using modular construction to build new homes in just three days.

“These techniques are widely used on the continent, but have been neglected in the UK. We need to catch up.”

He said that the government was supporting off-site construction through its Affordable Homes Programme.

“A fifth of all the homes built through the first phase of funding will use these innovative techniques,” he said. “It’s attractive for providers of affordable homes – because you will be able to access the rental stream more quickly.”

Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Top