Committee on Climate Change warns UK will miss carbon targets

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

commiteeonclimatechangeThe government is on track to miss targets to reduce carbon emmissions, according to a report by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). Under the current rate of progress, the UK will only reduce its carbon emissions by 21-23% between 2013 and 2025.

The committee blames the shortfall on the government’s policies for residential energy efficiency – the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). It suggests government needs to simplify and rationalise these policies, which account for a large part of the UK’s ability to cut emissions.

The Green Deal – introduced in January last year to offer 25-year loans to pay for energy saving measures – has long been criticised for failing to attract a significant uptake due to high costs, with loan interest rates of around 7%.

According to the CCC, more than 200,000 Green Deal assessments have been carried out but only 2,500 Green Deal Finance plans have been signed, contributing to the limited levels of progress in energy efficiency.

ECO was introduced alongside the Green Deal to offer free solid wall insulation to low-income homes. However, it was changed by the current government, lowering ambitions with far less obligation on the companies, resulting in the limited progress in solid wall insulation.

The report shows that loft insulation rates decreased by 92% in 2013, to just under 130,000 installations. Cavity wall insulation also saw major reductions in installations, with just 170,000 in 2013, down from 500,000 average per year during the first carbon budget period, as households failed to take up the Green Deal.

Despite the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the rate of low-carbon heat uptake is unlikely to reach the government’s ambition of 12% of low-carbon heat demand in 2020. The committee sees the RHI as a realistic delivery mechanism for the forseeable future, yet uncertainty over RHI must be reduced. The CCC criticised the government for its lack of renewable energy target beyond 2020. It suggests funding for RHI should be pledged to 2020 as its current 2016 commitment undermines incentives for supply chain development.

Lord Deben, chairman of the CCC, said:

“Climate change demands urgent action. We have started on the road and we are being joined by much of the rest of the world. However, despite our success, the UK is still not on track to meet our statutory commitment to cut emissions by 80%. The longer we leave it, the costlier it becomes.”

The committee concluded that carbon budgets can be met at affordabe costs, but it will require the strengthening of key policies.

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FMB urges young people to consider apprenticeship

Posted on by Posted in Construction, DIY

fmb-apprenThe Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is urging young people to consider a construction apprenticeship as a real and viable alternative to doing A-Levels, as the industry looks to fill 182,000 jobs in the next five years.

The building industry is experiencing a serious skills shortage which could hamper the economic recovery as the sector looks to replace the 390,000 workers that left the sector during the recession and the 410,000 workers that are due to reach retirement age in the next five years.

Provisional statistics show that there were 314,600 apprenticeship starts in the first three quarters of the 2013/2014 academic year but only 13,320 of these are in the construction, planning and built environment sector. Year on year the number of apprenticeship starts in this vitally important sector is decreasing (13,730 in academic year 2012/2013 and 13,920 in 2011/2012).

Sarah McMonagle, head of external affairs at the FMB, said:

“Now is the perfect time for young people to enter the construction sector. Research indicates that there will be 182,000 new jobs created in the building industry in the next five years and that 120,000 will need to be apprentices. To top that off, 43% of employers nationally agree that they would be more likely to offer an apprenticeship than they were two years ago.

“There has never been a more exciting time to begin a career in construction and we’re keen to demonstrate that A-Levels are not the only way forward for young people.”

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Britannia introduces Bertazzoni built-in range

Posted on by Posted in Bathrooms and Kitchens

britanniaBritannia Living, the exclusive UK supplier of Bertazzoni designer range cookers is introducing the brands built-in cooking products to the UK market.

Jacqui Hoctor, commercial manager for Britannia Living said:

“Bertazzoni is an aspirational brand in the mid-premium sector that has always been known for its designer range cookers, however built-in cooking is a growing market for us and one we are extremely excited about.

“The new Bertazzoni built-in designs are brimming with Italian flair, exceptionally well built and packed with leading features.”

Bertazzoni now offers a comprehensive range of built-in appliances, including electric 60cm multifunction ovens, matching 45cm combi microwaves, warming drawers and coffee makers.

The line-up also includes a matching combi steam oven (seen here), which combines steam, hot air and grilling. It also features a choice of 90cm segmented hobs with buyers able to combine gas, griddle and induction within in the same hob.

“Bertazzoni has experienced a great deal of global success thanks to the broad appeal of its competitively priced, high-quality and design-led products,” said Jacqui Hoctor. “I would urge anybody seeking to stock a staple brand with real Italian heritage to contact us to find out how we can help.”

uk.bertazzoni.com

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East Midlands sees a rise in number of new homes

Posted on by Posted in Construction

1322033635_generic-housingThe number of new homes being registered across the UK remains slightly ahead of corresponding statistics for last year according to new figures from NHBC, but there were considerable regional differences.

The latest statistics show that 38,099 new homes were registered for the rolling quarter May to July, compared to 37,738 for the same period last year.

But there were marked regional differences, with more than 10% of all the new homes registered being located in the East Midlands area, where the number jumped almost 55% to 3,984 from 2,571. The number fell the North East, Merseyside, Eastern, South West, Greater London and South East areas. Registrations in Scotland fell from 2,762 to 2,454 but there were rises in both Wales and Northern Ireland. The latest statistics show that 38,099 new homes were registered for the rolling quarter May to July, compared to 37,738 for the same period last year. This represents an increase of 1%, building on the strong growth seen throughout the country over the last 18 months.

The overall figure of 38,099 represents an increase of 1%, building on the strong growth seen throughout the country over the last 18 months.

The private sector continues to drive overall growth with numbers up nearly 7% for the rolling quarter compared to last year (28,861 this year; 27,028 last year) with the public sector remaining down on 2013 levels by 14% (9,238 this year; 10,710 last year).

Figures for July indicate a slight drop when compared to the same month last year (13,153 this year – 10,278 private sector; 2,875 public versus 13,539 for July 2013; 10,300 private; 3,239 public), although it is the second highest monthly total so far this year.

NHBC’s chief executive Mike Quinton said:

“Our latest statistics continue the trend seen during the year to date, with monthly volumes remaining steady and consolidating on last year’s overall levels. As we have stressed in the past, this recovery has been from a historically low base, so the industry must continue to work hard to meet the demand for more new, quality homes.”

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New figures for RHI released

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

TimPollardThe Department for Energy and Climate Change has released the latest figures for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

The numbers show that from April to July 2014, 7,418 homes have applied for payments under the domestic RHI.

Tim Pollard, Plumb and Parts Center’s head of sustainability, said:

“The RHI figures make for some interesting reading. The initiative is the first of its kind in the world, so a lot of people will be keeping a close eye on how it progresses.

“It’s still very early days as the domestic RHI only went live on April 9 this year, but even in this short period of time there’s a lot we can read into.

“One of the most interesting things for installers is the type of technology that people are installing. If we look at the non-domestic RHI figures, which has been running for longer, a big majority (93%) of applications are for biomass boilers.

“The domestic RHI figures however, show 37% of people are applying for payments for an air source heat pump (ASHP). The next most popular is solar thermal (25%), then biomass systems (22%) and ground source heat pumps (GSHP) (16%).

“Although it’s important to note that these figures include legacy applications (those fitted before the official start of the scheme and after July 15, 2009). It’s interesting to look at the breakdown of new applications, which shows biomass (43%), ASHP (32%), solar thermal (20%), GSHP (five per cent).

“This is more representative of the market today, and reflects our experience at Plumb and Parts Center.

“Geography is also important. Renewables are particularly appealing in off-grid areas as the people there don’t have access to the cheapest energy or gas. This is reflected in the figures for both the domestic and non-domestic RHI, where most applications have come from the south west and Scotland; with the west Midlands and south east providing the next biggest numbers.

“For installers looking to work in the renewables industry, these figures are important. They show non-domestic properties favour biomass boilers, but ASHP are also popular for homeowners and landlords.

“If installers work in an area where there have been a lot of RHI applications, it could seriously be worth investing in getting qualified to work with the scheme, because people are interested in switching to a renewable heating system, and this could provide extra business.

“It’s an exciting time for the renewables industry which could offer a lot of opportunities for installers, I’m interested to see how it develops.”

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