Clean Energy

A Government-commissioned report has found that UK homeowners are wasting more than £1 billion a year powering appliances they are not using.

According to the latest research from the British Standards Institute (BSI) only one in five homeowners is likely to sign up for the Green Deal. The majority of the 1,200 respondents admitted that they knew too little about the scheme to take part.

A new green fund, launched in conjunction with Leads2Trade, is expected to provide new opportunities for renewable energy installers looking to provide energy saving technologies for UK home and business owners.

In preparation for the launch of Government’s flagship energy policy the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies is expanding its training portfolio to offer courses on the Green Deal.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has announced that multi service provider, Gemserv, will run the new Green Deal oversight body. The company will be responsible for the registration of assessors, installers and providers as well monitoring compliance with the Code of Practice. 

Following the consideration of more than 600 responses to the consultation on the Green Deal and ECO, Government has today set out secondary Green Deal legislation. The changes to the original proposals include measures to strengthen consumer protection, reduce industry burdens, and to implement the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

Not for profit organisation Future of London has launched its latest report, Delivering Energy Efficiency in London, examining the practicalities in implementing and driving demand for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO). Produced in conjunction with EDF Energy, the group’s research concludes that carrying out these efficiency measures will be more difficult and costly in London and therefore will require increased financial aid compared with the rest of the UK.

Government has denied that the Green Deal is under review following a report by the BBC that indicated that the Cabinet Office had been interviewing critics of the scheme in response to widespread criticism.

Research has revealed that 12 percent of homes in England and Wales could benefit from Solid Wall Insulation (SWI) under the Green Deal’s ‘golden rule’.

As someone working in the UK solar industry you will be aware that Government’s flagship energy policy, the Green Deal, will be encroaching on your territory soon. And, since this is yet another new area of business many are, understandably, concerned about the impact this mechanism will have on their current work – but fear not. If you’re a qualified energy assessor or home inspector, or if you know someone who is, you could easily add a Green Deal string to your bow.