It will cost an average of £6000 per house for on-site renewables to meet the government’s zero carbon standard, according to the Renewables Advisory Board.

In a report, the government advisory body says that after the zero carbon homes policy is introduced in 2016, the market for onsite renewables will grow to £3 billion a year.

Renewables are essential to meet the electricity loads created by domestic appliances if homes are to meet zero carbon standards. The report warns the projected uptake of renewables as a result of this policy “will be greater than the global manufacturing capacity for a number of the most cost-effective technologies”, and says the technologies likely to be most popular are biomass CHP and solar photovoltaics.

The RAB made three recommendations to government:

  • Stimulate earlier demand for on-site renewable energy by encouraging local authorities to use planning to require zero carbon standards before 2016.
  • Minimise the use of remote off-site energy generation in meeting zero carbon standards by setting a cap on its use.
  • Accelerate the technological and commercial development of biomass CHP.

The Renewable Energy Association welcomed the report and supported the recommendation to stimulate early demand in the renewables sector.

It called on the government to introduce a generous feed-in tariff for on-site renewable electricity and to provide financial incentives for users of renewable heat technologies.

The REA also called for local planning authorities to adopt targets for on-site renewables similar to those implemented by the London Borough of Merton.

Source

Building Sustainable Design