The Government has today published plans to end support for solar thermal hot water heating, just as the UK market had started to recover. If the proposals go through the internationally proven technology will be cut out of the Renewable Heat Incentive entirely next year. The shock new proposal comes after repeated statements from British Energy Minister Amber Rudd that renewable heat is the major focus for UK renewables policy given the UK is off track on its 2020 renewables targets. The proposals also put at risk jobs in domestic manufacturing in renewables. The UK has a number of solar thermal manufacturers – including Viridian in Cambridgeshire, AES in Moray in Scotland, Thermatwin in Manchester and Solar UK in Sussex.
Scottish Energy News 4th March 2016 read more »
Families who fit solar panels on their roof to heat water will no longer receive subsidies under plans announced by the government. About 230,000 households in the UK have fitted solar thermal equipment on their homes which directly heats up water for central heating, baths and showers, according to the Solar Trade Association (STA). However, a decision to axe all future support under the Renewable Heat Incentive will remove government subsidies for thermal schemes from next year. The announcement follows cuts to a string of government green energy subsidies.
Times 4th March 2016 read more »
Significant changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive proposed today by UK Govt’s Dept for Energy (DECC) pose a 98% and 78% reduction in the deployment of biomass boilers by 2021. And the Renewable Energy Association (REA) is warning that – if enacted – this would in effect ‘extinguish’ an industry that the government has invested in for over five years and side-track progress on meeting UK renewable heat targets. The consultation proposes reductions to tariffs that support growth in the biomass heat industry, which has delivered the majority of the UK’s legally binding renewable heat target to date.
Scottish Energy News 4th March 2016 read more »
Glasgow-based Star Renewable Energy has launched its new air source heat pump (ASHP) at a facility where, by coincidence, the new series of Robot Wars is currently being filmed. While Star Renewable Energy’s innovation doesn’t involve flamethrowers or pneumatically-powered axes, the system certainly proved to be of great interest to observers within the low carbon heating sector, with a reverse cycle hot gas defrost and active control system designed to maximise uptime and efficiency. The air source development, which has been integrated with a district heating design, is the latest in a long line of innovations that have been brought to life by the joint thinking of a team of experts from Star Renewable Energy, Glasgow Housing Association (GHA), British Gas and consultants WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Scottish Energy News 4th March 2016 read more »