There has been a significant rise in the installation of renewables in homes and commercial building, according to government figures.

Two reports published by the Department of Communities and Local Government show that in the two years from November 2004 there was a steady rise in the number of PV, solar thermal and micro wind turbine installations throughout England and Wales.

Over the study period, PV installations rose by 67% from 1500 to 2515, giving a total PV capacity of more than 13.5 MW, much of it in dwellings.

The percentage rise in the number of solar thermal DHW installations was lower, at 9.5%, but this translates into a total of 71,100 installations. The vast majority are in dwellings, with only 2,600 in non-domestic buildings. This breaks down into 0.35% of dwellings where it is technically feasible, and 0.21% of all non-domestic buildings having a solar thermal DHW installation.

Small wind turbines installations grew by 23-26% to more than 720.

The reports on the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 and the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 are published every two years to give details on the progress made in the sustainability of building stock in England and Wales.

Source

Building Sustainable Design