News and Events
South west renewables businesses well placed to benefit from new heat and energy saving strategy
New jobs, a reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and an increase in the value of the region's renewable energy sector are just some of the potential benefits of the government's ‘heat and energy saving strategy', announced today, according to the south west's sustainable energy agency.
"Today's announcement is a positive step forward, and one that could provide a real boost to the renewable energy sector in the south west," said Merlin Hyman, Regen SW's chief executive. "We have excellent renewable heat resources in the region - particularly for biomass - so the proposals look set to provide not only environmental but also strong economic benefits."
Under the government's proposals, there would be subsidies for homeowners who generate their own heat energy through technology such as solar panels, biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps, funded through a levy on fossil fuel energy supplies.
"This makes sense," added Merlin. "Our most recent economic research in 2008 showed that the region's renewable energy sector employed over 7,000 people, was worth £215 million to the region, and was continually growing. The proposed new measures look set to accelerate these figures further. In particular, they will encourage more people to fit biomass heating to their properties, resulting in a higher demand for resources that the region has in abundance. What's more, as 16 per cent of the region's 2.1 million homes have no access to mains gas, this would provide an ideal incentive for them to replace their current systems with renewable technologies, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, which have recently shown huge variations in price."
Regen SW's recent Road to 2020 report, an analysis of what the UK's 15 per cent renewables target could mean for the South West of England, has already showed that the potential for the retrofit of renewable heat systems in existing buildings is huge. In order to exceed the government's targets and reach a ‘20 per cent renewable target' Regen SW's analysis stated that there must be ‘very rapid growth of the market for renewable heat in existing buildings.'
Between 2008 and 2009, the recorded capacity for biomass installations in the southwest grew by 60 per cent to 16 MW and similar increases are expected in the forthcoming 2009 survey.
To read the full consultation document go to: http://www.decc.gov.uk/consultations/hes.html
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Notes to editors
About the Road to 2020 document
Regen SW's Road to 2020 document states that ‘normal boiler replacement cycles mean that at least 60 per cent [of homes in off-gas-grid areas] are likely to replace their boiler between now and 2020. If all of the heating systems replaced over this period switched to renewable fuels they would generate up to 4.4TWh of renewable heat a year, which is equivalent to 7 per cent of the south west's heating demand.'
One of the key national enablers that the report suggested was needed to develop renewable heat in the south west was: ‘DEFRA and BERR need to implement a scheme to reward renewable heat by 2009.'
The full Road to 2020 report, including the process that was gone through to produce it, the purpose, the approach, and details of the workshop participants can be viewed at www.regensw.co.uk/road-to-2020.
Or to view the report's technical appendix, visit www.regensw.co.uk/2020-technical-appendix
About Regen SW
Regen SW, which receives its core funding from the South West of England Regional Development Agency, is the sustainable energy agency for South West England. It was previously the region's renewable energy agency, and it now has an extended remit to include energy efficiency.
Regen SW's purpose is to speed up the transition to a low carbon economy in the South West England. It works to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy, champion energy efficiency initiatives and to grow the region's sustainable energy businesses.
The South West RDA has invested more than £3.3 million of funding to Regen SW since 2002.
About the South West RDA
The South West RDA leads the development of a sustainable economy, investing to unlock the region's business potential. It works in partnership with public, private and social purpose organisations to drive up the region's productivity by giving people the skills they need, encouraging enterprise, improving infrastructure, regenerating places, and promoting the strengths of the region. For more information see www.southwestrda.org.uk
For further information
Please contact James Reddy, Regen SW communications manager on 01392 474322/07967 835947 or email jreddy@regensw.co.uk
