Opinion

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wright

By Bill Wright, head of energy solutions at The Electrical Contractor’s Association 

After an initial burst the domestic RHI got off to a slow start with less than 160 accreditations in the first two weeks, most of these being legacy applications. It will take time for new systems to be installed and accredited but I have heard of an increase of interest from potential clients. OFGEM are well prepared for this scheme using the experience gained from the non domestic RHI.

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The press has been full of news that the government will be giving grants to Green Deal applicants for a range of measures ranging from insulation to the use of storage radiators. Figures of up to £7600 have been claimed to be available per client. As yet though there are no details of how to apply and when the finance will be delivered. It is a shame that the measures did not include any renewable energy measures such as PV. PV installations are not fully covered by the Green deal as the FiTs payments cannot be included in the calculation for the ‘Golden Rule’ on payback. This means that the client has to finance about >60 percent of the cost before they could borrow the remainder under a Green Deal plan. An additional subsidy, such as the new measures announced, could galvanise the industry again. The PV Solar Strategy has helped the industry but did not identify sources of finance, merely offering encouragement. An additional shot in the arm is just what the industry requires to get it back into full gear and delivering the government’s intentions on PV power installed.