The UK Government published its Microgeneration Strategy in March 2006. This highlighted research by the Energy Saving Trust which showed by 2050 microgeneration could provide 30–40% of the UK’s electricity needs. But progress in the last two years has been frustratingly slow, and in May 2007 grants for householders to install microgeneration in England and Wales were slashed.
The Micropower Council argues that quantified targets for microgeneration are required so the necessary investment in the sector can take place. Without investment, costs cannot come down and microgeneration cannot be available to all. Britain installed about 270 domestic solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in 2007, for example, compared with 130,000 in Germany. Installation of a PV system in Germany now costs around half that of Britain. (The Guardian, 18 Feb 2008)
Driving force
This website has been established by a group of environmental and fuel poverty groups in Scotland to push this agenda forward. Government action on Microgeneration has, from the very beginning, been driven by Non-Government Organization (NGO) campaigning. It was an NGO campaign which forced the UK government to produce its Microgeneration Strategy in the first place, after a successful amendment to the Energy Act 2004, moved in the House of Lords by the Micropower Council’s first chairman, Lord Ezra.
In Scotland progress has been frustratingly slow too, although the Scottish Government announced a tripling of funding, in November 2007, for community renewables and microgeneration. We are still awaiting the Scottish Government’s finalized Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Strategy – the consultation was held in March 2007; the promised consultation on changes to the Permitted Development Order has only just appeared and has been a disappointment (see Take Action); there is still no sign of the Renewable Heat Strategy promised for the end of 2007; and local authorities have been slow to implement Scottish Planning Policy Guidance (SPP6) – Scotland’s “Merton Rule”.
What is needed
In December 2007 an expert panel recommended staged increases in energy standards for new buildings every three years with the aim of net zero carbon emissions for space heating, hot water, lighting and ventilation by 2016/7. But the Scottish Government has yet to respond. We will be pressing for total net zero carbon houses by 2016, as appears to be the plan in England, and pressing for interim support for the micropower industry, the necessity for which was highlighted by the Renewables Advisory Board, if we’re to achieve targets by 2016.
We need to require new buildings to install microgeneration as part of moves towards all new buildings being zero carbon. The Renewables Advisory Board points out these requirements for new buildings will stimulate the microgeneration market and reduce the cost making it affordable to use (after efficiency has been brought up to standard) in existing buildings for more and more people. We also need to make sure the requirement for micro-generation installations on existing houses to obtain planning permission is ended and we need to implement fiscal measures to encourage people to install microgeneration on existing buildings. Let’s work together to kick-start the microgeneration revolution.
Further information on the background to this website >>
