Micro Generation Strategy Document

The consultation document is available at the DECC website and seeks to explore a number of barriers that might prevent the micro generation sector from realising its full potential. It summarises the issues, presents the evidence, makes specific proposals and seeks responses to a range of questions.

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:

“I am planting the seeds for growth so we can see small scale energy generation flourish in homes, businesses and communities. All elements of the industry, from standards and access to information to technology and skills must be ready to deliver and grow.

“We’ve already pledged financial support to encourage people to install kit like solar panels and heat pumps, today’s consultation will ensure that the industry and consumers have the confidence to invest.”

Micro Generation Strategy Consultation Objectives

Essentially the document seeks views on four key areas that the government hopes can help decarbonise the way we heat our homes and businesses, reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions and contributing to the UK target for sourcing 20% of all EU energy from renewables by 2020.  The consultation on the Micro Generation Strategy will look at the following four key areas for development:

• Quality: to ensure consumers have confidence that equipment and installation is reliable and adheres to the highest standards
• Skills: to develop the microgeneration supply chain to ensure it is properly equipped with the right people to meet the expected rise in demand, as well as creating and sustaining jobs in the UK
• Technology: to examine technology development including performance improvement
• Information and Advice: to provide more accessible advice and information about Micro Generation to consumers  (this is one area were we hope to contribute!)

Which Micro Generation technologies?

The focus of the Microgeneration Strategy will be electricity generation technologies less than 50 kW in size, and heat generating technologies less than 300 kW in size. This will include:

• air, ground and water source heat pumps
• solar photovoltaics (PV)
• solar thermal water heating
• biomass boilers
• micro Combined Heat and Power (micro CHP)
• micro wind turbines
• fuel cells
• micro hydro schemes
• passive flue gas recovery devices.

Comment

Essentially I see this as another positive step forwards, after the introduction of the Feed in Tariff ,  towards micro generation becoming a very real contributor to the UK energy generating capacity.  I look forward to reading the document and providing some comment.

Dave Sowden of the Micropower Council has similar views, He also looks forward to clarification on incentives for renewable heating,   saying:

“We have already seen extraordinary growth in microgeneration power generation solutions thanks to the introduction of the Feed in Tariff earlier this year, and look forward to similar incentives being extended to renewable heating and hot water systems next June. Today’s welcome proposals will help the industry grow with proper attention to quality, technology and skills development, whilst making it all much easier for consumers.”

Do you intend taking part in the Consultation?

Apparently after 2012, individuals will be able to approach their energy supplier and ask for a loan to cover the cost of insulation. The loan will then be paid back by through an extra charge on their energy bill. What is interesting is that the extra charge will be assigned to the property – not the owner – so that if an individual sells their home, the new owner would have to take on the responsibility for the repayments.  Lots of potential for surprises for house buyers there!

The Energy Secretary Chris Huhne stated;

“When it comes to making our homes warmer and cosier, Britain’s a laggard. The green deal is about taking the hassle and upfront cost out of making your home more energy efficient.”

Although the Green Deal is not without its critics, it does seem to be a step in the right direction.  What do you think?

Audrey Gallacher, Head of Energy at Consumer Focus commented:

“Rocketing heating oil prices are causing major worry for hundreds of thousands of consumers. Clearly questions need to be asked about why prices have risen so much more than the cost of crude oil and it is welcome that the OFT are monitoring this.”

He also comments on the variations in prices;

“The market for heating fuels is local, not national and in some parts of the country people are paying four times the amount for oil as elsewhere. There are signs that some companies are exploiting the situation. Consumers need to know that there is no local profiteering going on.”

And finally on the how micro generation of renewable energy would be a longer term solution;

“In the long-term, homes using heating oil should also be targeted so they can take advantage of energy microgeneration schemes and the extension of the gas network to help cut their energy bills.”

Are you a domestic oil user worried about rising prices and thinking of micro generation of renewable energy, such as home solar or wind power?  Let us know your thoughts!

Research, carried out in conjunction with Forum for the Future, showed that interest in clean energy generation has risen substantially among farmers since the announcement of the government’s feed-in tariff.  Almost 90 per cent are planning to make a move in the next two years, enabling them to take advantage of the scheme.  The feed-in tariff allows anyone who owns a microgeneration system to sell back any energy they do not use to the National Grid.

Derry Newman, chief executive of Solarcentury, said: “Sustainable farming is at the core of a healthy future for the UK, and it’s great to see farmers recognising the opportunity they now have with solar.”

Seen at rapidonline.com

As it says on the about page Micro-generator.com was original started as a means for me to talk about my own interest in micro-generation but also to create an online resource for anyone who is at all interested in the generating their own power from renewable sources at home.  This is still very much true and I plan to get this site back up and running.

The scope of the site covers all relevant technologies for micro generation, but also those for saving power wastage. By using a blog format I hope to create a resource that provides a balanced mix of related news, technology reviews and other useful information.

There will be a number of changes happening over the next few weeks as I update the content and create a whole new look and feel

The workshops, the first of which will be held at the company’s wind farm in Delabole, North Cornwall on 31 October, will provide attendees with advice on how to select the right renewable energy technology, how to plan and finance the technology and how to generate revenue from the energy that is generated.

The company said that the workshops would be aimed at both individuals interested in installing microgeneration technologies such as solar panels and small-scale wind turbines, and businesses interested in installing commercial-scale renewable energy systems on their land.

Seen at BusinessGreen.com

Technorati Tags: Solar wind, solar power, microgeneration

Micro generation report – this is a pdf file so you will need acrobat reader to view the document

Technorati Tags: micro-generation

The report which actual has the title “The Growth Potential for Micro generation in England, Wales and Scotland” had been commissioned by the UK government department for business, energy and regulatory reform duly arrived and according to some elements of the press suggests that the use of solar and wind and other forms of micro generation could generate as much electricity as five nuclear power stations! The report did get a lot of press mostly just echoing or at least headlining similar claims.

As you know we are a supporter of micro generation here and have often talked about the need for the UK to develop more effective policies that would support a grater uptake of micro generation. The report largely echoes this view saying that supporting a wider adoption of micro generation will require sustained policy support. In other words the government is going to have to create the environment in which the uptake of micro generation technologies becomes attractive to the public and allows them to overcome the initial up front cost. The report looks at a lot of technologies including Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units and not just home wind and solar.

One thing is clear it is going to cost and cost a lot. But then as I see it all solutions at this point are going to cost and we need to find the right approach to spending that money without wasting money. It is also equally clear, to me at least, that micro generation is not the complete solution, just like nuclear isn’t either, but it is certainly one which has the potential to provide a significant contribution to the solution. It is one approach for which the economics are all going in the right direction and with significant uptake is only going to develop more effective technologies and innovations and reduced cost to the consumer.

Technorati Tags: micro-generation, solar, wind.

“People used to be attracted to living off-grid for largely environmental reasons, although that is now changing as energy prices rise”

Of course it helps to live in Arizona with good wind and plenty of sun but it is an interesting read and the photographs are definitely worth a look.

The report also quotes Nick Rosen author of the book “How to Live Off-Grid.”

“Because of technology advancing … and because of high house and energy prices … there are a lot more people moving off grid.”

Well OK, but in my mind, I don’t see the imperative to move completely off grid, but as Nick says, solar, wind and other technologies are advancing to make home generation a more attractive option, reducing energy costs and potentially feeding back to the grid. All we need now is feed in tariffs in the UK to keep things move forward and bring balance to the grid …… OK so now I sound like Yoda, so I’m going to stop.

Technorati Tags: solar-power, wind-power, micro-generation