Micropower underfunded

Rachel Crisp, the civil servant responsible for microgeneration at the energy strategy unit at the DTI, said microgeneration in the home was an underdeveloped area: She said: “The potential benefits of microtechnologies are not being realised”.

Crisp said an uptake of micro-generation technologies, such as building mounted wind turbines, had a range of benefits. She said: “Microgeneration technologies would had the potential to improve the competitiveness of electricity markets, help alleviate fuel poverty, improve the security of supply and help reduce carbon emissions.”

Crisp made her comments at a BRE conference in Watford on wind generation attended by delegates from local authorities, developers and consultants.

She said government needed to support the sector to help it get off the ground. “The public sector has a leadership role to play.”

Crisp said: “Government support that exists for microtechnologies is not currently grown up and it needs a coordinated effort to provide a kick start for the sector.”

The conference was told that one of the problems the government needed to tackle was the problem faced by homeowners in selling any surplus electricity generated by their turbine back to the grid.

Crisp said the government was hoping to publish a consultation document on microgeneration in the summer to encourage small scale wind turbines, which would deal with issues such as connection to the grid, Building Regulations and planning issues.

The government’s climate change policy is failing and it needs to take action urgently if the UK is to meet its targets for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a report by the Royal Society claims.

The report, published last month, casts doubt on the government’s ability to meet its Kyoto commitment of cutting all greenhouse gases by 12.5%. It says the government overestimated the effect of some policies, including changes to the Building Regulations, which is says are not being enforced.