February 12, 2009

expert reactions to the DECC heat and energy strategy

The government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change has introduced a strategy to address carbon emissions from UK domestic heating – this includes strategies to make heating air and water dependent on renewable sources of energy.

Philip Wolfe, Director General of the Renewable Energy Association, representing the industry, said:

“Ed Miliband exhibited strong leadership on renewable heat by bringing in the powers to introduce a Heat Tariff almost as soon as he took up his role at DECC. We like the vision set out in this document, but hope Ed Miliband will retain his very practical lead by expediting the Heat Tariff the industry needs to realise that vision.

“Renewable heat is expected to contribute a full third of the EU renewables target. The strategy set out in this consultation document is very positive, visionary and ambitious. But heat is a sensitive area for the industry with over five years of consultations and no action to date.

“The economic crisis provides an additional case for accelerated action in this area; our members in the decentralised energy sector employ 10 people for every million pounds of turnover, and you can probably double that when you add employment in their suppliers. Government has just committed £2.9 billion to the UK’s car makers – a similar sum in sustainable energy could therefore create about half a million jobs!”

Philip Greenish, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

“We welcome today’s initiative by Government to address carbon emissions from heating. Today 45% of our emissions come from heating air and water in existing buildings, and 87% of these buildings will still be in operation in 2050. Without such measures we would be certain to miss our target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050.

“At a recent meeting we hosted for energy experts, 85% said they saw existing buildings as the best target area for optimising our heat use. However, they were were pessimistic about any real progress in reducing domestic carbon emissions before 2020 and saw capital expenditure as the main barrier.”