Micropower Politics

REA response to Nuclear plans

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:02:51 GMT

Today's hard-hitting REA announcement on the Government's energy plans.

The renewable energy industry derided the paucity of new measures in today�s badly timed Energy Bill. The governments own calculations show that these policies will deliver less than a third of the renewable energy (1) required under EU law.

Renewable Energy Association director Philip Wolfe said,
�The government knows that the Energy White Paper on which the Bill is based was out of date before it was published, because it neglected the European energy targets the UK had signed up to the previous month. Now it is going off half-cocked again, just two weeks before we are given our share of the EU renewables target. The government is missing a golden opportunity to use the Energy Bill for a much broader suite of policies.�

He added,
�Given the Prime Minister's public commitment to the 20% target, the industry felt entitled to expect more in the Energy Bill to bring it up to date with the targets and with promises to support sustainable heat. We are therefore asking John Hutton to consider key amendments to the bill to urgently accelerate renewable energy in the UK.�

�Amongst other things, our proposed amendments will address two of the fundamental flaws in UK renewables policy, and are widely supported by the policy community and by opposition parties;

Firstly, there is systematic neglect of the vast suite of renewable technologies that operate at a smaller scale and that are suitable for investment by individuals, businesses and public bodies well beyond the traditional energy industry. Renewables, including heat production, often work best at this scale but are not being taken seriously by government. We believe a Feed in Tariff would offer vital stimulus here.
Secondly the remit of the regulator has not kept up with energy policy. This means rules and regulations impede technologies that help tackle climate change and vital new infrastructure just doesn�t get built.�

The government is proposing further consultations running into 2009 on how to deliver the UK share of the EU target. This is despite the unequivocal commitment to renewables previously stated in the 2003 Energy White Paper, based on the largest public consultation on energy in 50 years.
�If we could consult our way out of climate change we'd be at the top of the EU renewables league table�, commented Philip Wolfe. �In practice we need tough and early measures. If we don't get them very soon we'll stay at the bottom.�

Nuclear and RO banding announcements

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:43:45 GMT

Commenting on the Government's decision to give the green light to a new generation of nuclear power stations, Dr Jeremy Leggett Chairman said,

"today the UK Government has revealed its true colours. Sitting alongside its pro nuclear announcement, the Government has also released the detail of its reform of the Renewables Obligation (RO). Here was a golden opportunity for the Government to listen to the considered views of the renewables industry and deliver real incentives for solar power, as well as the "emerging" technologies of wave and tidal power. The UK will need all of these technologies to make a significant contribution if we are to get anywhere near our 2020 and 2050 targets. Instead, the Government has confirmed a level of RO support from 2009 which even it admits will not be enough to make a serious difference to investment in these technologies, and announced yet another consultation on renewable energy."

Dr Leggett added, "buried in the nuclear White Paper the Government describes how the UK would deliver its 2050 carbon emissions reduction target in the absence of any new nuclear build. It acknowledges that "even more effort" would be needed to improve energy efficiency across all sectors, that further investment in "alternative low carbon electricity generation technologies" would be required, and that further reductions in carbon emissions would be needed in other sectors of the economy such as transport. The real question today therefore is why on Earth isn't Government pursuing these genuinely sustainable alternatives now. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that nuclear has crowded out renewables."

Solarcentury welcomes the launch of Government CO2 calculator

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:24:34 GMT

Solarcentury welcomes the launch of the Government's CO2 calculator, which will enable people to work out their carbon footprint from home energy, appliances and transport. The calculator then develops a personalised plan for users, with suggestions as to how they can cut their emissions, including the installation of solar PV.

In particular, the calculator demonstrates the major contribution that can be made from solar PV and other renewable energy technologies in delivering substantial cuts in domestic CO2 emissions.

Seb Berry Head of External Affairs said "The average sized domestic solar PV system generates between 2,000-2,500 units of electricity per annum and saves between 1.1 - 1.4 tonnes of CO2 annually. We therefore very much welcome the inclusion of solar PV in the CO2 calculator."

He added "If we're going to deliver the major cuts in domestic CO2 emissions promised by the Government by 2020, we will need to boost very significantly the contribution from solar PV particularly in urban and semi urban areas, where solar technology is often the only practical on site renewable energy solution. As the Government's own recent 2006 report into UK domestic solar PV concluded, solar PV systems contribute typically up to 80% of a household's electricity demand, but can deliver 140% plus, when combined with other home energy efficiency measures."

The Government's online CO2 calculator is available at www.direct.gov.uk/actonCO2

For further information please contact Seb Berry Head of External Affairs on tel 07949 208187 or email seb.berry@solarcentury.com

Planning restrictions on solar to be reviewed

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:40:59 GMT

"Installing wind turbines and solar panels on homes should not necessarily require planning permission", the Government has suggested. "If there is little or no impact on neighbouring properties then homeowners should not have to apply to their council". Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary said that planning laws should not be a barrier to tackling climate change.

Solarcentury urges DTI to end grant capping for household installations

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 09:40:36 GMT

Solarcentury today urged the DTI to end the month to month capping of domestic grant allocations under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). Solarcentury's call came just hours after the entire � 500k February grant cap was allocated in full barely 12 hours into the new calendar month.

Jeremy Leggett Chief Executive said, "since lunchtime our phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from concerned customers. Their household customers will now have to wait until 1st March to apply for grant support under the LCBP. In our view, the decision to introduce a monthly cap based on grant allocations from December 2006 was premature. It's not too late however for the DTI to repair some of the damage, by ending the monthly grant cap with immediate effect, or at the very least basing it more realistically on actual spend rather than grant allocation."

Scrap curbs on solar panels, MPs urge

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:02:31 GMT

"The Government should scrap barriers to home energy generation if the sector is to play its full part in the fight against global warming," a parliamentary report said on Tuesday. "Planning restrictions on rooftop wind turbines and solar panels should be removed and incentives streamlined, and the electricity distribution firms must pay a proper market rate for any surplus produced by such microgeneration."

According to the House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee, "Not all technologies are suitable to all situations, so the Government must also make sure that adequate information is available to allow consumers to make informed choices. Local energy has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by displacing the use of fossil fuels, decreasing network losses, and increasing energy awareness amongst users."

"Greater use of local energy could, prospectively, increase the security of the UK's energy supplies by drawing on a more diversified range of fuel sources, many of which are renewable," the report added.

"The cost of microgeneration technologies was a barrier to entry but would reduce as demand rose," the report said, urging the Government to demonstrate a long-term commitment to the sector thereby encouraging it to invest in expansion.

European Commission to call for new industrial revolution in energy and cut of 20% CO2 by 2020

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:47:44 GMT

On Wednesday, the European Commission will set out a three-year road map towards a common European energy policy, with the goal of achieving a 20% greenhouse-gas emissions reduction by 2020. The European Commission today has published World Energy Technology Outlook to 2050 and a Eurobarometer survey on EU citizens' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of energy issues, which shows that energy is a low priority issue for the public.

The Commission plans on Wednesday to put forward a series of energy reports and policy proposals, which it hopes will be a catalyst for "a new industrial revolution" that will "transform Europe into a highly energy-efficient and low-CO� energy economy" by the mid-century. "The days of secure, cheap energy for Europe are over," the Commission warns in a Strategic Energy Review, which forms the centre-piece of the package.

The draft copy of the report signals out: climate change, increasing import dependence and higher energy prices, as challenges faced by all EU members and says "A common European response is necessary" to address them."With current trends and policies, the EU's energy-import dependence will jump from 50% of total energy consumption today to 65% in 2030," the Commission says. "By that time", it adds, "Dependence on gas imports will have increased from 57% to 84% and oil from 82% to 93%, making Europe increasingly vulnerable to major oil and gas producers."

The paper also says that "Energy accounts for 93% of carbon dioxide emissions" and therefore lies "At the root of climate change". The Commission suggests that despite current policy on reducing carbon emissions, they will increase "By around 5% by 2030", leading the conclusion that "The EU's present energy policy is not sustainable."

To address those challenges, the Commission proposes an Action Plan, to be implemented in the next three years. It calls on the European Parliament and on EU leaders to endorse the plan at the forthcoming summit in March. "The point of departure for a common energy policy must be combating climate change, promoting jobs and growth and limiting the EU's external vulnerability to imported hydrocarbons," the Commission says.

A senior EU official has been reported as saying that the objective should be a 20% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020, something that should translate to around a 15% CO� reduction compared with the Kyoto Protocol's base year of 1990.

Proposals set out in the paper include:

Completing the internal market for electricity and gas with "a clearer separation of energy production from distribution" for large energy utilities and "Stronger independent regulatory control which considers the interests of Europe as a whole, not just national interests, as is too often the case at present"

The paper also includes the following proposals:

- A target for renewable energies for 2020, which some EU officials say could be set at 20%; Europe's total energy consumption.
- A minimum target for biofuels for 2020.
- An objective to improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020.
- A big push for energy research and development with an increase by "at least 50%" of annual spending over the next seven years on low-carbon technologies.
- A solidarity mechanism to deal with supply crisis, including a new energy observatory and a network of energy correspondents, and a common external energy policy to forge closer relations with main supplier, consumer and transit countries.

LibDems make case for local power supplies

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:27:14 GMT

"Every Scottish town should have its own power supplies, running off renewable sources and avoiding the need for the waste of energy at large out-of-town power stations," according to the Liberal Democrats.

The plan was put forward yesterday by Nicol Stephen, the Scottish LibDem leader, as a manifesto proposal for next May's election. It is aimed at avoiding the need for new nuclear plants, and is part of Mr Stephen's claim that Scotland's entire power supply can come from renewable fuel sources by 2050.

The idea would be for towns the size of Ayr, Falkirk or Livingston to have a town power station, burning renewably-grown biomass such as forestry waste.

Known as district heat and power plants, they are already used in American cities and Scandinavia - including the city of Oslo - with many of them being situated where replacement, large-scale power plants had faced opposition on environmental grounds.

It is thought large carbon-burning power stations lose more than 60% of their energy potential before it even reaches the transmission lines. A heat and power plant was recently opened at the Caledonian paper mill in Irvine, cutting by 85% the plant's carbon emissions through conventional energy.

According to Mr Stephen, the plan would help tackle fuel poverty and polluting emissions. He said: "If we are to succeed in ending fuel poverty we must look to renewable sources of heat that would be cheaper to the consumer and to the environment."

"Cutting the cost of fuel, both to the consumer and the environment, can be achieved by having electricity and heat generated as close as possible to the people needing it. He comntinued, "At the moment more than 60% of the energy from big, remote fossil fuel power stations goes up the chimney as wasted heat."

"By generating on a smaller scale, locally, this heat can be piped to homes and businesses directly. By using combined heat and power, we can double the efficiency of fossil fuels and make existing reserves last longer. But as quickly as possible, we need to see a switch to renewable sources and burning biomass in these plants instead".

The LibDem pledge is to enable local power generation in every community in Scotland, using combined heat and power plants, district heating systems, air and ground heat pumps, biomass, storage cells, and networks of hydrogen fuel pumps.

DCLG details zero-carbon home target

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:05:08 GMT

New homes will become "zero-carbon" by 2016 by tightening energy efficiency requirements, the DCLG declared this week.Under proposals unveiled for consultation, energy performance in the building regulations should improve by 25 per cent by 2010. Three years later, homes will have to be 44 per cent more energy efficient and by 2016 all new homes must be zero-carbon.A home will have to produce all its own energy, but if it takes some from the national grid it will pay it back at other times of the year, according to the government. Communities secretary Ruth Kelly said the proposals will cut around 20 per cent of housing emissions by 2050.The final code for sustainable homes was also published this week. House builders will have to provide buyers with green star ratings for new properties from April 2008. WWF-UK campaigns director Paul King said: "The code sends the right signal for house builders to put zero carbon at the top of their agenda."The British Property Federation said the code gives house builders clarity and predictability. But Friends of the Earth planning adviser Hugh Ellis said it is unlikely to have a significant effect unless it is mandatory.The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors lambasted the government for failing to tackle existing homes. Kelly said that the DCLG will consult on measures to improve their efficiency next year.Building a Greener Future is available at PlanningResource.co.uk/doc .

Homing In On Zero Carbon Building

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:18:07 GMT

A challenging package of measures for planners and housebuilders, which will help to reduce carbon emissions and bring innovation to the building industry, was published today by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly. The aim is to put tackling climate change at the heart of the planning system and the way we build new homes.Currently, the energy used to heat, light and run our homes accounts for 27 per cent of all of the UK's carbon emissions - around 40 million tonnes. To help tackle this, the Government is proposing that all new homes be zero carbon by 2016. Energy efficient and insulated buildings, which draw their energy from zero or low carbon technologies and therefore produce no net carbon emissions from all energy use over the course of a year, will help reduce carbon emissions as well as lowering fuel bills for households.The overall strategy, as set out in the consultation document Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development issued today, provides a real opportunity to deliver more sustainable homes. It was issued as part of a package of wide-ranging measures, which includes:- a framework for progressively tightening building regulations up to 2016 to increase the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of new homes;- the publication of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which aims to increase the environmental sustainability of new homes and give homeowners better information about the sustainability of their home. It sets out a star rating from one to six (with six being the most sustainable) which can be applied to all new homes. From April 2008, after learning from the voluntary phase, we intend to propose that all new homes should be required to have a mandatory Code rating, indicating whether they have been assessed and the performance of the home against the Code; and- a draft Planning Policy Statement on climate change, which expects planning strategies to be tested on their carbon ambition and, in providing for new homes, jobs and infrastructure needed by communities, shape places with lower carbon emissions and resilient to climate change. The PPS expects new development to be located to optimise its carbon performance and make the most of existing and planned opportunities for decentralised, renewable and low-carbon, energy supplies.Ruth Kelly said:"Climate change is a real and imminent threat. The recent Stern Review brought into sharp relief the need for urgent international action. With a rising population and more people living in smaller households the demands on housing are only set to increase. So it is vital that homes and other buildings are as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. Further tough action is still needed to deliver significant energy use reductions in existing homes, but within a decade I want every new home to be zero carbon. This country is the first to set this ambition, and we look forward to our international partners matching it." http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1505140