RHI could distort market
Leading energy experts have expressed concern about the impact the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will have on efforts to create a more sustainable building stock.
A recent seminar held by the Green Alliance and PRASEG (Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group) in the House of Commons considered how take up of the initiative, which comes into effect in April 2011, could be maximised and what the likely impact would be.
A number of experts expressed the view that it could divert attention and funding away away from vital energy efficiency work and that it could lead to renewables being put into inefficient/leaky buildings. They also expressed disappointment at the decision to exclude cooling technologies and said this could lead to energy waste because inefficient system
s would continue to be specified.
M&E Sustainability chairman Jim O'Neil (left)l has already expressed concern about renewables being misapplied in buildings.
"Too many poorly performing buildings are being dragged over the line by renewables," he said. "If we get our designs right, buildings should not need renewables to comply with Part L or achieve planning permission."
Speakers at the seminar also suggested that the tariffs could create "perverse incentives" and the level for biomethane grid injection may need to be increased. They were also worried about a shortage of funding for the scheme, which could create uncertainty and would almost certainly delay investment in renewable heating projects.
Local authorities will play a key role in ensuring "strategic and efficient delivery of renewable and sustainable heat", the seminar decided and would be influential in ensuring the profits were put back into low carbon public projects.
The Green Alliance called for the planning process to be streamlined to ease take up of the renewable schemes and said that urgent work needed to be done on raising awareness of the RHI among end users and the industries that could benefit from it as well as training the supply chain. They also called for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) to be reformed.