Furthering its intention to make localised energy a more realistic possibility for homeowners across the UK, Government has today published plans to bring power to the people. By listening to industry, consumer groups and the general public, the Coalition has been able to form its very own Microgeneration Strategy.
Government’s vision is to bring small-scale renewable technologies, such as solar photovoltaic and thermal panels, to UK homes, businesses and communities. The report is aimed at pulling microgeneration out of its niche market and into the mainstream.
Greg Barker, the UK’s Energy and Climate Change Minister said, “I want to see a revolution in energy generation at a local level, giving genuine power to the people. We want to help people who are enthusiastic to generate their own energy matched by an industry with the desire, creativity and tenacity to grow in a sustainable and responsible way.”
As part of the strategy Government promises to improve the MCS process, making it more effective for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to get involved while also maintaining consumer protection. Other actions include developing the skills and knowledge in the microgeneration sector, organising incentive mechanisms so they support growth effectively and ensuring microgeneration technologies are both affordable and accessible.
Juliet Davenport, CEO of renewable electricity supplier, Good Energy said, “We’re really pleased that the government shares Good Energy’s vision for a future where microgeneration is an everyday energy technology in homes and workplaces. In particular, we welcome the recognition that community energy projects come in all shapes and sizes and could be as large as 20MW in capacity. However as the plan recognises, community energy is just one type of decentralised energy. Locally produced energy will have a key role to play in the future, not only in cutting emissions but also in improving our energy security and insulating consumers from price rises. Today's announcement admits there a number of issues affecting decentralised energy that need to be addressed going forward, so it makes sense that the Government do so by committing to a wider distributed energy strategy as part of its Electricity Market Reform project to do just that.”
The plans outlined in the Microgeneration Strategy will be taken forward through the comprehensive review of feed-in tariffs, which will be launched later this summer. The strategy is published after Government’s promise to ramp up small-scale renewable energy in place of the large-scale schemes it has effectively scrapped.
To read the Strategy report click here.