Just over a month since the UK’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) was made available to commercial, public sector and not-for-profit and community installations, the first two applicants have been given the go-ahead from Ofgem E-serve, which administrates the RHI scheme on behalf of Government.
Successful claimant Booth Brothers in Sheffield, which is an Umbrella supplier will install a 24kW water source heat pump to power its under floor heating, while a set of holiday cottages in East Yorkshire has been successful in their application for a 4.3kW ground source heat pump.
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker, who hopes the RHI will significantly increase the use of renewable heat technology in the UK, said: “Its fantastic news that the Renewable Heat Incentive has received its first two successful applicants, and this is just the start.
“Renewable heat is a largely untapped resource and an important new green industry of the future. It’ll help the UK shift away from fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging innovation, jobs and growth in new advanced technologies.”
The £860 million RHI was made available to industry and businesses from November 28 last year, while for households, the RHI payments will begin alongside the Green Deal in autumn this year. The scheme is designed to make low carbon heating systems like heat pumps, biomass boilers or solar thermal panels more affordable.
The RHI will see solar thermal installations receive 8.5p/kWh, biomass boilers receive 7.9p/kWh and heat pump installations receive 4.5p/kWh.