On 22 June 2011 DECC published a Microgeneration Strategy along with the Microgeneration Industry Contact Group Action Plan. The Strategy represents an important step on the UK’s journey towards cleaner, greener energy.
The Strategy focuses on non-financial barriers to microgeneration which must be tackled to maximise the effectiveness of the financial incentives that have been put in place. It is the product of a very successful collaborative consultation process with industry and key stakeholders. In line with the terms of the Green Energy Act 2009, the Strategy is restricted to England only, although some proposals may apply across Great Britain.
In line with the Coalition’s intention to become the greenest Government ever, the actions set out in the Strategy will support the increased uptake of small scale localised energy production. Such projects can engage individuals, neighbourhoods and communities in becoming involved with generating local heat and power. This offers a powerful symbol of the move from centralism to local action – the ‘Big Society’ in the UK’s energy landscape.
Increasing the deployment of renewable micro-heat will be particularly important in meeting our renewable and carbon targets. Domestic space heating is the single largest contributor to the UK’s carbon emissions from heat.
The Strategy sets out a number of actions with key deliverables, milestones, and responsibilities, based on the following work streams:
- Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) – maximising the effectiveness of the MCS scheme in ensuring high-quality design and installation of microgeneration systems and improve consumer confidence
- Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) – creating a regulatory environment and assessment framework that enables accurate representation of contribution of microgeneration technologies to low carbon homes and buildings
- Insurance and Warranties – enabling policy makers and industry to understand the consumer protection structure and suitably sign post schemes in policy
- Skills and knowledge – ensuring there are sufficient levels of skills and knowledge in the industry to meet the demands of a rapidly growing sector
- Technology – promoting a systems approach to microgeneration technology deployment, produce clear guidance on the various technologies, improving consideration for grid and connection issues, and encouraging a reliable market growth for microgeneration
- Communications– achieving consensus in the industry on core messaging and promoting a collaborative approach to dissemination, enabling greater reach
- Communities – the Green Energy Act 2009 includes definitive limits for microgeneration in the context of this Strategy, however, neither the domestic or community sectors strictly operate within such limits. In the final section we consider the read across from microgeneration to community scale and decentralised energy solutions.
For further information on the consultation please see the Microgeneration Strategy consultation web page.
You can also view the following documents: