Climate Change Minister Greg Barker is today launching the first stage of the Government’s plans to help communities become more self-sufficient in the way they use heat and power. Empowering communities to generate their own energy on a large and a small scale can not only bring in an income but also help save money on fuel bills and increase domestic energy security, says the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Homes, schools and businesses are already guaranteed cash payments through the ‘feed-in tariff’ for producing their own green electricity through technologies such as solar panels or small wind turbines, as well as for selling it to the national grid and around 100,000 homes and organisations have installed this kind of technology so far.
Now, the Government wants to see what more it can do to help develop the industry, create more job opportunities, and make sure customers can trust the green technology they buy.
“I want to see more homes, communities and businesses generating their own energy. We can literally bring power back to the people," said Barker. "Microgeneration is a key part of this vision.
“By becoming more self sufficient we can create sustainable local energy economies. People and communities can save money on their fuel bills at the same time as generating an income and cutting carbon. I want to work with industry to overcome the challenges it is facing. Together we will create a marketplace for jobs and prosperity alongside products and advice which people trust.”
Key development areas
The consultation on the Microgeneration Strategy will look at four key areas for development: quality, to ensure consumers have confidence that equipment and installation is reliable and adheres to the highest standards; technology, to examine how to improve products through more trialling of technologies new to the UK; skills, to develop the microgeneration supply chain to ensure it is properly equipped with the right people to meet the expected rise in demand, as well as creating and sustaining jobs in the UK; and advice, that will provide more accessible advice and information about microgeneration to homeowners, communities and small businesses.
Today’s announcement is further to plans to overturn a ban on councils selling green electricity into the national grid. Last week, Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said he wants local councils to be allowed to sell electricity they produce from renewables to the national electricity grid. DECC will be repealing the 1976 Local Government Act by the end of the year.
