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RenewableENERGYINSTALLER THE BUSINESS OF

MICROGENERATION

SOlAR THERMAl SOlAR Pv bIOMASS HEAT PUMPS WInD HyDRO Issue 7 Summer 2010

PlUS

CASE STUDIESSolar PV in a village hall; solar thermal inSuffolk and biomass in a primary school

The Oil & Renewable Heating ShowWhy you need to register

Dulas – A helping hand for the installer

Winning awards

& back to

school:

A week at a

Cotswold

installer

MICRO CHPThe benefits of this technology

www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk | 03

nEWS

04 newsPayback times, solar PV training fromNICEIC, Cowboy Corner08 news AnalysisRHI – what does the biomass sectorthink?10 news ProfileRichard Lowe, Dulas offers help forthe installer

OPInIOn

12 Emma McCarthy, nICEICexplains the importance of facing thegreen challenge12 Q&AGarry Broadbent, ICS Heat PumpTechnology13 Peter Frost, MD,viessmannoffers his financial opinion 13 MCSThe latest update from the scheme

KnOWlEDGE

14 Micro CHP16 Case StudiesSolar PV in a village hall; solarthermal in Suffolk and biomass in aschool19 The Oil and Renewable andHeating ShowThe latest on this inaugural event20 FundingPippa Wibberley, Daikin takes a look22 Solar ThermalGren Ward, Biasi, explains thecompany’s solar thermal package24 TrainingStiebel Eltron, BPEC, Epogee andLogic4Training26 My Working WeekWhat a week is like at CEEC

CommentsContents

Editor: Lu Quinney

Staff writer: Liz Boardman

Publishing Manager: Jonathan Hibbert

Published by: Ashley & Dumville

Publishing Ltd, Regent House, Bexton Lane,

Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 9AB

Tel: 01565 653283

hy this sector is so hung up onpayback times for the cost ofrenewable technologies, never

ceases to amaze me. With no other purchasesdo we calculate the time it will take us torecoup the cash we have shelled out. Indeed,for many items the exact opposite is true. Weknow, for example, that a brand new vehicleis going to lose money the moment it isdriven off the forecourt. But do we care? No,because the cachet of a new car is moreimportant. We also know, that the hundredsof pounds forked out for the latest plasmascreen TV, is little more than a whimsy. Afterall, in a few years – if the appliance hasn’tpacked up by then – we’ll want to trade it infor another monstrous model to hang abovethe fireplace. We don’t buy a washingmachine or dishwasher with the thought thatthe energy spent on its usage, plus the moneyspent on washing liquid will financiallyoutweigh the money we would have spenthandwashing our dishes or clothes. We buythese items because they serve a purpose,they enhance our lives and let us get on withother leisurely pursuits.

When it comes to energy-relatedappliances, we have, for years, spent moneyon new boilers and radiators without battingan eyelid. Well, maybe we’ve baulked at thecost, but have you ever had a conversationwith anyone who has calculated the cost oftheir new gas or oil boiler and the point atwhich that appliance will be running for free?Of course not, because, in this day and age,

we want to be warm. We want hot waterwhen we need it and like dishwashers andwashing machines, boilers improve thequality of our lives.

Arguably, the renewables sector couldbe seen as slightly different. We have ofcourse over the last few years, beeninundated with ways in which thehomeowner can receive payment for theelectricity they generate from renewablesources. With the Renewable Heat Incentive(RHI) set for next year rewarding thegeneration of renewable heat, perhaps it isonly natural that our minds begin to whirl andthe money-making opportunities to be hadkick in. However, it seems to me that we havelost sight of the reason why renewables areso important. How easily we forget that thereare targets to be met and of course, a planetto look after. Isn’t it time that we stoppedlooking at how long we’ll see payback for thecost of that ground source heat pump andstarted thinking about the long term benefitsthis technology offers instead?

Put awaythecalculators

Editor’s comment

W

Front cover: Photo: courtesy of Navitron

We don’t buy a washingmachine or dishwasherwith the thought of theenergy spent on itsusage

News

04 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk

Wood chip boilers are cost-effective, says chief engineerAccording to an article in Energy Network, the newsletter for the Energy Institute, wood chipboilers are highly cost-effective. The findings are based on a presentation to Energy Institutemembers by Phil Harris CEng, CEnv, chief engineer, Worcester County Council (WCC), whorelated the council’s experience of using various renewable sources gathered over the past 15years. The technologies covered were biomass heating, ground source heat pumps, solarphotovoltaics, solar thermal, building scale wind turbines and rainwater recovery systems. Aswell as describing the installations in detail, the main thrust of the presentation was to define thecost-effectiveness of each technology and the impact of Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs), the RenewableHeat Incentive (RHI) and the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) on the overall evaluation.

The definition of WCC’s cost-effectiveness was the ‘lifetime cost per tonne of CO2 saved’.This includes the capital cost, any grant funding or savings, plus the cost of renewable energysaved over its lifetime, minus the cost of conventional energy over its lifetime and the incomereceived from the FiT, all divided by the value of CO2 emissions avoided over the same lifetime.

The results of the findings highlighted that wood chip boilers in the range 100-200kW withgrant funding are highly cost-effective. However, large installations of 700kW without grantfunding can still reduce CO2 competitively. Wood pellet boilers in the range 20-30kW willbecome cost-effective in 2011 following the introduction of the RHI.

News in briefGood Energy’s Juliet Davenport has beencrowned PLUS Market’s CEO of the Year forthe second year running. Davenport was‘delighted’ to receive the award.

The Sigma Sustainable Energy Fund II hascommitted £1.5m to Ampair Energy to aidproduct development. The new companybased in Dorset, recently acquired thebusiness and assets of Boost EnergySystems, which designs and produces windturbines, currently ranging from 100W to6kW.

Raine & Shine, the alternative energysolutions company based in the North West,is now MCS-accredited.

Solar radiation is the latest in the CharteredInstitution of Building Services Engineers’(CIBSE) Knowledge series of publications.Capturing Solar Energy (KS15) offers anoverview of the available domestic and non-domestic solar technologies andapplications and covers solar thermal andphotovoltaic cells. It also highlights manydesign and installation issues. Copies cost £23 to CIBSE members and £46to non-members.

Baxi Know-How is a detailed technical guideto help ease system specification for localauthority, social housing and privateproperty developers. It provides informationon the Code for Sustainable Homes andoffers full details on the range of Baxi Grouplow and zero carbon solutions available inthe specification sector.

Student flats, mid-terraced housing andVictorian homes were named among themost energy efficient buildings in thecountry, following a research exercise by theUniversity of Sheffield and energy companyE-ON.

Euro-Line Solar GmbH has created asexclusive partnership to promote theDorfmueller Solaranlagen GmbH DMIinverter series into the UK market. The DMIinverters are manufactured for the on-gridphotovoltaic solar market.

Support for coalition energy plansEvoco, small-scale wind turbine supplierbased in West Yorkshire, is pleased to seethat the coalition government has signalledits continuing support to householders in itsefforts to be green. “A ‘pay as you save’scheme encouraging the up-take of homeenergy efficiency measures is a sensiblecomplementary policy to the Clean EnergyCashback’s encouragement to generate cleanenergy. It is only by continuing to supportboth the reduction in energy demand and the

increase of clean energy supplies that the UKwill achieve its commitment to meet 20 percent of energy requirements from renewablesources by 2020,” said Fraser Marwick,commercial director, Evoco Energy.

Plans revealed by the new coalitiongovernment include a smart grid; the roll-outof smart meters; the creation of electricityfeed-in tariff systems and measures topromote energy from waste throughanaerobic digestion. Whilst HIPs will bescrapped, energy performance certificateswill be retained.

Government misses renewable targets

The UK government has fallen well short on itsrenewable energy targets, according to areport released by the National Audit Office(NAO).The Whitehall spending watchdog blames alack of clear co-ordination for the missedtarget of generating 10 per cent of UK energyfrom renewable sources.According to the NAO, the latest availabledata from 2008 reveals that only 2.3 per cent ofenergy was produced by green technology. Inits report, the NAO says government fundingfor developing renewable energy technologieshas delivered technology innovation andincreased the supply of renewable energy.However, it adds that co-ordination hashistorically been limited and the absence of aconsistent approach to measuring andreporting on the impact of this support meansthe overall value for money of spending to datecannot be demonstrated.Numerous schemes offering direct support forrenewable energy technologies have beenlaunched during the last decade by variousgovernment departments and delivery bodies.Reflecting their own objectives and remits,

each organisation has determined its approachand spending on renewable energytechnologies.

The NAO found that government-fundeddirect support for renewable energytechnology had totalled £265 million between2000 and 2009. This funding is separate fromsupport provided through fiscal and regulatorymeasures, including the RenewablesObligation, which in 2008-09 providedfinancial support worth around £1 billion.

The government’s target, originally set in2000, was to obtain 10 per cent of UKelectricity supplies from renewable sources bythe end of 2010. However, according to theNAO report, the latest available data from 2008shows that only 2.3 per cent of UK energy wasgenerated from renewable sources, and itwrites: “ To meet the 2020 renewable energytarget the Department of Energy and ClimateChange (DECC) will have to drive a seven-foldincrease.”The government’s medium-term requirementto meet the legally-binding obligationestablished under the EU Renewable EnergyDirective 2009 is to increase the proportion ofall the UK’s energy needs, covering electricity,heat and transport, which are supplied fromrenewable sources to 15 per cent by 2020.


Events

Installer LivePlumbing, heating and renewable show7 - 10 SeptemberRicoh Arena, Coventrywww.installerlive.com

The Energy Event 108 – 9 SeptemberNational Motorcycle Museum, Gaydonwww.theenergyevent.com

FAME 2010 - Biofuels MarketsBerlin, Germany13 - 14 September 2010www.greenworldconferences.com/fame

HUSUM Wind EnergyHamburg, Germany21 - 25 September 2010www.husumwindenergy.com

Solar Power International 2010Los Angeles, USA12 - 14 October 2010www.calendar.sustainablesources.com

Best (Interbuild)Aimed at construction and builtenvironment17 - 20 OctNEC, Birminghamwww.best-show.co.uk

Oil and Renewable Heating ShowThe future of energy on show28 - 29 OctoberRicoh Arenawww.oilandrenewableheatingshow.co.uk

Renewable UK 2010Energy event, conference and exhibition2 – 4 NovemberSECC, Glasgowwww.renewable-uk.com/events/annual-conference/index.html

NICEIC offers solar PV courseNICEIC’s new solar PV course has beendeveloped to support its MicrogenerationCertification Scheme (MCS) for installers. Itprovides electrical contractors with knowledgeand skills about this important energygenerating technology.

The course will cover the majority ofsmall-scale systems currently being installedin the UK and provide an overview of thedesign, installation, commission and service ofsolar PV systems.

“NICEIC is at the forefront in promotingmicrogeneration and we encourage allelectrical contractors to get involved with thisgrowing sector,” said Wayne Terry, NICEIC’shead of energy and environment. “Our new

solar PV course provides an excellent way toacquire the necessary skills and knowledge tomaximise the revenue generatingopportunities microgeneration offers.”

On course: NICEIC’s solar PV course aims to support itsMCS for installers

Jayhawk International has set up the Solar Trade Club Scheme where members of the trade canpurchase solar collectors from a website before they reach the UK to benefit from lower costs.Eric Hawkins, global sales director explained: “A container will leave our new factory in Tai’anevery month. This means that customers can pre-plan deliveries months ahead. The first 20 percent of the container will provide up-front payers with a 50 per cent reduction in price comparedwith the last 10 per cent to be sold in the container. On arrival in the UK, VAT is payable.”

Guidance helps engineers position wind turbines

A new report based on a BRE study will aid compliance with UK policy regarding renewableenergy generation for high-rise developments.

BRE Trust, the owner of BRE, has produced a report, Building-Mounted Micro-WindTurbines on High-Rise and Commercial Buildings, providing guidance on the positioning of windturbines on the roofs of tall buildings to maximise their potential for wind power generation. Thisreport, published by IHS BRE Press, is based on a study that characterises wind conditions overa range of building heights from 15 to 80 metres and provides guidance on the most effectiveheight and location for wind turbine installations.

PV partnership shinesSolfex has entered into partnership with KiotoClear Energy AG from Austria and will be soleUK distribution partner for the MCS-approvedKioto photovoltaic modules in the UK and Irishmarket.

The first installation of these newmodules was carried out in Ambleside,Cumbria by MCS-approved installer, JeffDodds from Sunrise Solar. “These panels havea lower profile than most on the market andare suitable for the old types of roof we haveup here as they are polycrystalline and theymatch well with existing slate even thoughthey have a modern look. The German-manufactured Sun-Grid mounting frames are

telescopic and everything just slots in. Also,there are a variety of fixings to ensure thewater tightness of the roof. Excellent kit at agood price. We are delighted to be the first inthe UK to install these,” said Dodds.

One and only: Solfex is sole UK distribution partner forKioto PV modules in the UK and Ireland

“The RHI scheme will provide a tremendous boost to the uptake of renewable heat-generating appliances,” says Oliver Duckworth, Windhager.

Club together: JayhawkInternational has set up theSolar Trade Club

Join the solar club

News


Council bins wind farm

The council with one of thelargest number of Green Partycouncillors has rejected a £7.4million plan to develop the UK’slargest university wind turbineproject. It cites the developmentas having exerting a harmfulinfluence on the living conditionsof neighbouring residents, as areason.

The project, comprising oftwo 2.3MW turbines, would havecut carbon emissions at LancasterUniversity by more than 38 percent and met the electricityrequirements of the 7,000students living on campus.

The scheme is part of theLancaster University’sSustainable InfrastructureMasterplan, a programme tomake the university campus oneof the most sustainable in Britainand a world leader on meeting thechallenge of climate change. Other key elements of the masterplan include the use of biomassboilers to provide heat for parts ofthe site and the introduction ofsmart meter technology.

A 1011-name petition wassubmitted to the council insupport of the proposed scheme.One local resident wrote to thecouncil committee supporting thescheme, saying: “These windturbines are a wonderful idea andwill greatly enhance thereputation of Lancaster and theuniversity, on top of the directpractical benefits.”

Lancaster University vice-chancellor, Professor PaulWellings said he was

“disappointed” with the decisionby the council’s planningcommittee and the university wasnow considering an appeal.

Future looks bright for PV firmSolar PV specialist Becosolar isset to see sales triple to £3.5million by the end of this year.

The company has won anumber of significant contracts,including one for social housingin Yorkshire worth £1.5 millionand a project with Totnes toinstall solar energy in homesacross the town.

Managing director, NigelBrunton-Reed, who bought thecompany four and a half yearsago is delighted with thecompany’s progress andsuccess: “For a long time I’vehad an interest in self-sufficientenergy and the potential itcould bring to both homes andcommercial business. In theshort time that I have ownedthe company, the business haschanged from appealing topeople with an environmentalconscience to being driven bythose seeking appreciablecarbon reductions or to meetthe new Code of SustainableHomes.”

Energy-from-waste An award-winning studyconcludes that energy-from-waste (EfW) technologies cancontribute up to 50 per cent ofthe UK renewable energy targetby 2020. It states that this willdepend on the pace ofinvestment and availability ofsuitable feedstock. The studywon the first Geotech Bursary /CIWM Award.

This research study byCranfield graduate, Kofi ApeaAdu-Gyamfi, considers thedevelopment of EfWtechnologies and their potentialcontribution to the UK’srenewable energy targets. Itidentifies the small-scale EfWdeployment at community levelas an application with hugepotential benefits for the UK. Hisstudy concludes that,depending on the pace ofinvestment and availability ofsuitable feedstock, EfWtechnologies can contribute upto 50 percent of UK renewablestarget by 2020.

The full paper can bedownloaded fromwww.geotech.co.uk

High flyer: Lancaster University’s windproject would have met the energyneeds of 7,000 students

Shining example: Nigel Brunton-Reed,managing director of Becosolar, withsolar panels stacked high. Growingdemand for solar technology will seeBecosolar sales triple to £3.5 million bythe end of the year

Cowboy corner

An undercover Which?investigation (May 2010)has foundthat ten out of 14 solar panelcompanies made misleadingclaims about the savings that canbe made by having a solar thermalsystem installed. Which? saysEverest potentially broke the lawand has admitted that itsrepresentative made claims thatthey knew to be false during thesales pitch.

Which? says it was promptedto carry out the investigation afterseeing a rise in complaints aboutthe industry. Misleading claimsincluded a 50 per cent cut in totalheating bills from installing solarthermal (a Which? solar experthas calculated this to be 10%). Itwas also found that 90 per cent ofinstallers didn’t ask about thehousehold’s current energyconsumption and discounts up to28 per cent were offered forsigning up on the spot.

For more dirt-dishing onrogue renewable companies, takea look at the heatmyhome.co.uksite and follow the linkwww.heatmyhome.co.uk/solar-panels/?p=275&cpage=2

Rainwater harvesting a success The Plumbing Academy, Edenbridge believes it is the first trainingfacility in the country to have a fully functional rainwater harvestingsystem. The Academy installed a Kingspan Environmental Envireau3,000 litre system in its 3000 sq ft premises in Edenbrige, Kent.

All water for training at the Plumbing Academy is now beinggenerated following the installation of the system. The Academyestimates that it is able to harvest a quarter of a million litres of watereach year, the equivalent of ten average-sized swimming pools.

Steven Edwards, chief executive of The Plumbing Academy, said:“Having a rainwater harvesting system at the Academy provides afantastic learning tool for our trainees who will need to be fully versed inrenewable and sustainable energy technologies.”

Let it rain: The PlumbingAcademy now has arainwater harvestingsystem at its Edenbridgesite

News: Analysis


RHI – what’s theverdict?The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is planned for introduction in April 2011 and isset to offer subsidies for renewable heat generated from biomass, heat pumps andsolar thermal. REI asked the biomass sector for its opinion on its implementation

Windhager, manufacturer of biomass boilers, is backing the proposed RHI scheme. Director, OliverDuckworth, comments: “The RHI scheme will provide a tremendous boost to the uptake ofrenewable heat-generating appliances. A sensible approach has been taken to allow access to thescheme for appliances installed from July 2009 to qualify for RHI payments. This will ensure thatprojects proposing a biomass installation will not be delayed in the transition period and cancontinue to source grant funding from existing grant schemes until the RHI launch.”

Duckworth feels the proposed scheme will ensure that the UK is on target to meet its 2020 carbon emission targets and make the UK a hotbedfor renewable heating technologies.

“Having eligibility for RHI payments only for equipment and installers that have met the standards laid down in the MCS scheme will ensurethat quality appliances and installation companies increase consumer confidence in renewable technologies,” he adds.

Added benefits: Oliver Duckworth, Windhager, feels theRHI will provide a tremendous boost to the uptake ofrenewable heat-generating appliances

Cautious note: Whilst welcoming theimplementation of the RHI, Nick Snell, CertainlyWood, is disappointed that woodburning stovesare not included

Looking for more: Like Snell, Bruce Allen,HETAS, would like to see more focus onwood burning appliances

Questions questions: Toni Griffiths, CO2ST, believes theRHI will open up a raft of issues for the industry

Transforming paybackAdrian Walker, managing director, Hoval, islooking forward to the benefits RHI will bring. “Weexpect the RHI to transform payback calculationsfor renewable heat sources (eg. biomass, solarthermal, air source heat pumps), mirroring theeffect of Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) for renewablepower. We welcome this as it will make biomassand solar thermal viable for many more projects,grow the market and reduce emissions. We wouldlike to see longer tariff lifetimes for biomass butstill believe the proposed 15 years is sufficient toencourage biomass use,” he comments.

Stove exemptionNick Snell, managing director, Certainly Wood,specialist supplier of kiln-dried firewood,welcomes the implementation of the RHI butwould like to see it go further. “This is certainlygoing to focus the minds on biomass technologyand will undoubtedly have a huge positiveimpact,” he says. However, Snell finds itdisappointing that wood burning stoves are notincluded. “I understand the reasons why as I aminvolved with the SIA (Stove Industry Alliance) toput together an industry response to try and getinclusion. This is pretty vital to the stoveindustry,” he adds.

Bruce Allen, chief executive HETAS, is of asimilar opinion. He welcomes the RHI as aconsultation document. “In principle, it’s a reallygood idea to incentivise the use of renewableenergy, and biomass in particular. If the RHI isimplemented as planned, it will definitely increasethe uptake of biomass technologies. However, I’dlike to see more focus on encouraging log burningappliances. If stoves were included in the RHI itwould offer much greater opportunities for lowercarbon options,” he says.

Questions unansweredToni Griffiths, managing director,Co2ST, believes the race is on if the RHIis to be introduced by next April. “Withthe consultation now closed, I fullyexpect to see a raft of, as yet,undiscovered issues arise. Small legalmatters like ‘what is the definition ofbiomass?’ and ‘is bioliquid a real wordor something made up to suit thepolitical will of the lobbied?’

“There is also the small issue ofhow the current fuel measurement andsampling procedures, used for therenewable electricity market, aretransformed from the draconian, long-winded model, to the streamlined,realistic model, which is required toallow investment in low carbon heat,whilst maintaining continuity with theRenewables Obligation in order to avoidperverse uneven incentives,” she says.


Working to astandardIsaac Occhipinti, membershipmanager, Heating and HotwaterIndustry Council (HHIC), explains theBenchmark scheme which now includesrenewables

The Benchmark scheme is a nationally-recognised scheme thatprovides universal commissioning standards across the domesticheating industry. Initially this was started by and instigated by boilermanufacturers but the scope has now widened to include solar thermal,heat pumps and micro CHP units. This now enables manufacturers andinstallers of these low carbon products to offer the scheme to theircustomers.

The Benchmark member scheme places the responsibilities onboth manufacturers and installers to ensure best practice in installation,commissioning and servicing of domestic heating and hot waterproducts in line with Building Regulations in England and Wales. It ismanaged and promoted by the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council(HHIC).

Customers receive documented evidence that their product hasbeen correctly installed by the installer completing the Benchmarkcommissioning checklist and/or service record. This document can befound at the back of the manufacturer’s instruction manual.

If the installer is Benchmark-registered then they will be requiredto ensure they:• Give a full and clear explanation/ demonstration of the

product/system and its operation to you, the customer,• Hand over the manufacturer’s user instructions to you on

completion of the installation,• Obtain your signature to record that the product demonstration

and handover have been completed,Benchmark also requires all of its installers to be competent,

qualified and committed to provide a service of a high quality. Benchmark is unique in that it is driven by the heating industry. It

therefore acts as a self regulatory scheme to ensure that productsinstalled and fitted meet the highest standards. Benchmark requires allsigned up manufacturers and installers to abide by the BenchmarkCode of Practice, which can be found at www.centralheating.co.uk.This places certain obligations on them to ensure standards are kept toa maximum.

The benefits for the renewables industry is that Benchmark offersan affordable and industry focussed scheme that can help reassure newcustomers on quality and service. It also helps to provide recognition forheating engineers and manufacturers that take pride in their work.

To find out more visit www.centralheating.co.uk/benchmark

News: Analysis


he impact of the new Feed-inTariff (FiT) in the UK is huge.The perception of

microgeneration is changing. No longerwill the public sector be relied upon tolead with demonstration projects, nolonger will specifiers for theconstruction industry weigh up thecapital losses with the compliancetargets, and most significant of all, isthe public’s change in attitude to theinvestment opportunity of generatingelectricity on its own roof.

The Clean Energy CashbackScheme is set to incentivisehomeowners. The impact on Dulas, ourinstaller partners and customers hasbeen immediate. Demand hasquadrupled and quality, service andcustomers support are high on theagenda. But how will the trade industrybenefit from the microgeneration and inparticular the solar PV boom broughtabout by the FiT? The key hurdle isachieving MCS accreditation, thenincreasing competition, quality andavailability of products. Dulas believesthat by working with the right partnersyou can solve all three issues.

Stage 1, Installer Mentoring BRE Global is one of three bodiesaccredited by UCAS to audit newinstallers through the MCS process.BRE has acknowledged that mentoringby existing experienced installers likeDulas is an acceptable route throughMCS. The process involves a Dulasengineer attending sites with the newinstaller to fit and commission their firstPV system. Dulas prepares handoverdocuments.

We do charges for this service butthis high level of technical support is an

excellent way of engaging with newinstaller customers, leading to a highquality of installation. In the absence ofany formal technical support by theaccreditation bodies, mentoring byDulas can be the only available fasttrack route for new installers to learntheir trade. To reach the point of anMCS inspection the installer must haveundergone several other trainingrequirements. For solar PV theseinclude British Standards certificates ininspection and testing and wiringregulations as well as membership ofelectrical bodies such as NICEIC andPart P recognition.

Stage 2, Product Choice To support our products Dulas offerstraining seminars led by themanufacturer’s engineers. Theseprovide interaction with inverters andmounting system components.

New installers receive a range ofservices from Dulas technical supportteam. These include design tools tospecify PV systems such as productdata sheets, installation manuals and‘configurator’ tools. We also have atechnical hotline.

Bobbie Hays, account manager,Dulas explains the process: “Customerscan contact me directly where I willtalk through a range of questions toestablish whether or not they are MCSaccredited, what their current level ofbusiness is, how many installationsthey have carried out, how many areplanned and how many offices theyhave. I then send out a price list andaccount application pack, along withsome data sheets on our product range.When the application form has beenreturned I can start quoting. As an

account develops, I arrange a meetingto look at a development plan,increased credit etc, I like to establisha relationship as soon as possible.”

Stage 3, Ongoing support Dulas’ wholesale team can providecomplete specifications for installersnew to the industry. By providingDulas with the roof space of the jobwe can provide the requiredcomponent list. The order can bedispatched to suit the installationschedule.

Feb 2010 will be seen by theindustry as the month in which capitalsubsidies finally came to an end afterover seven years of governmentsupport. The grant programmes werefraught with numerous gaps insupport resulting in uncertainty and alack of investment from the industry.

We can only welcome theintroduction of a schemeguaranteeing a revenue stream to theowners of PV generators over a 25year period. This will enable themicrogeneration industry to createand execute ambitious business plansby providing the foundation stone.

The rates set under this Feed-inTariff are even better than the industrywas anticipating and can onlypromote greater roll out of solarsystems throughout the UK (excludingNI). This long awaited announcementfrom the Department of EnergyClimate Change (DECC) signals a kickstart to the UK’s microgenerationindustry. With possible returns of upto 8% businesses and individuals willnow see micro generation and small-scale renewable energy as a secureinvestment.

News: Profile

A helping hand

Richard Lowe, technical sales advisor atDulas, talks us through the ways the

company can benefit today’s installer

Guiding light:Richard Lowe,

Dulas, outlinesthe company’s

mentoring ethic

T

The construction industry, worth some£124bn to the UK economy, is on the front linein the drive for renewable energy. A typicaltradesperson in 20 years time may no longer fitinto the bracket of plumber, electrician orbuilder, as the installation skills required are acrossover of many skills.

Yet, how does the industry ‘green skill’itself to the level required if sustainable targetsare to be met? With the economy stillrecovering from deep recession, and theconstruction industry still in one, the potentialfor funding is minimal. The challenge is huge;how to get the required number of skilledenvironmental technology installers to retrofitor install new renewable technologies if greentargets are to be met.

NICEIC, the voluntary regulatory body forelectricians in the UK, believes that training isone solution and must be backed bygovernment. Our investigations suggest thatthe majority of electricians are aware of thevarious types of microgeneration systems.However, some don’t feel they fullyunderstand the environmental issues thatshould underpin their judgment when itcomes to deciding what decisions or changesthey can make to an existing, or newinstallation. Misinformation surroundingpayback times to the householder is alsostifling progress.

If bespoke training was partially funded

by government, which covered thefoundations of green skills, solid technicalunderstanding could be created. Renewabletechnologies would become more attractive asa business proposition and this would increaseuptake and create a more skilled workforce.

This should be supported by putting moreemphasis on apprenticeships. Before thegeneral election, Conservative MP Mark Prisk,pledged £2000 to small and medium-sizedbusinesses for each apprentice they broughtthrough. This would be a start, but the smallprint needs careful scrutiny as proposals tolower the age limit on apprenticeships mayhave a detrimental impact on the accessibilityof training schemes.

Later this year, NICEIC will be launchingits own apprentice scheme. We believe it’stime the training for the next generation ofapprentices accurately reflects future demandson installers. That means a thoroughgrounding in renewable and environmentaltechnologies, energy-saving smart hometechnology as well as some of the moretraditional electrical installation workassociated with an apprenticeship.

At the moment, pulling itself clear of therecession is the priority for the constructionindustry. But make no mistake, environmentaltechnologies present an opportunity for theconstruction industry to grow and yet againprove itself invaluable to UK PLC.


Opinion

Time to ‘green skill’ the workforceEmma McCarthy, chief operating officer, NICEIC,explains why it’s important the construction industryprepares its workforce for the green challenge ahead

Time to train: EmmaMcCarthy, NICEIC, isaware of that greenskills are needed tomeet renewabledemands

Garry broadbentICS Heat Pump

Technology

Q&A

REI: What are your plans for2010? GB: ICS Heat Pump Technology iscommitted to a development planwhich places great emphasis onsupporting both residential andcommercial partners/installers andusers of either air or groundsource heat pumps. So far thisyear we have invested over£20,000 in a new training facilitywhich opened in January. We willbe launching a number of newDeLonghi-Climaveneta Heat Pumpproducts in 2010.REI: What do you see as thegrowth areas in renewables? GB: We specifically provideDeLonghi-Climaveneta heatpumps but understand that heatpumps alone as a technology arenot the only answer to therenewable requirements of theUK. However, as heat pumptechnology moves forward heatpumps are becoming much morewidely applied in favour of othertechnologies especially within theretrofit market. This market has tobe where our industry needs tofocus. REI: How is ICS Heat PumpTechnology cutting its owncarbon footprint? GB: We perform best practice interms of recycling andoptimisation of all our operationalareas. During 2010 we haveintroduced a new initiative, the ICSHPT Partner Hub, which focusesheavily on increasing the efficiencyin the way that we provideinformation and services to ourpartner and customer base via theinternet. Garry Broadbent, Director ICS Heat Pump Technology

“The government’s target of20% of energy coming fromrenewable sources by 2020,seems somewhat ambitioustoday. While the moralargument for a carbon reductionprogramme in the fight againstclimate change projections hasbeen won, the current financialposition we find ourselves in willrequire a good deal of politicaldetermination and commitment.The handover note left by LiamByrne, the outgoing ChiefSecretary to the Treasury putbeautifully the government’sdilemma. It read, ‘there’s nomoney left’.

“The current public debateover carbon reduction has firmlyput the question of energyefficiency on the table and this,together with the volatility ofenergy prices over the lastcouple of years, has made thisvery relevant today to bothhouseholds and businessesalike.

“Most households andbusinesses are however, moreconcerned with energy costsand see energy efficiency inthese terms. Viessmann – andthe industry in general – hasachieved success in

substantially improving productefficiency and has developedseveral newer technologies thatcan deliver on the promise of‘cheaper energy’ – for example,solar thermal, photovoltaic (PV),heat pumps and combined heatand power (CHP). However,these technologies come at aprice and that price is the costof investment. With theexception of CHP, which isgenerally justified through theprofit and loss account – and isalready showing someViessmann customerssubstantial cost savings in theright application – the ‘payback’for the individual on theirinvestment appears unattractiveexcept to all but the mostsocially-committed households.

“The missing ingredienthere is government incentiveand ambition, which brings meback to the earlier point abouttreasury money. The incentive isthere in part for PV but for othertechnologies the governmenthas sent out mixed messagesthrough the cancellation of theLow Carbon BuildingProgramme. This is due to bereplaced by the Renewable HeatIncentive and it is important

that the industry does its best tosee the discussion paper turninto legislation.

“Viessmann has seen firsthand the wider acceptance ofdomestic and commercialrenewable technologies throughits sales offices in mainlandEurope. This has been helped bythe major investmentViessmann has made in productconnectivity across its range,particularly important whenextending systems to includerenewable technologies.

“We are at the stage whenwe can no longer wait for themagic bullet and we must startusing what renewabletechnologies we have – andwith attractive governmentincentives to offset theinstallation – investment is morelikely to ensure the achievementof a very challenging target.”


Opinion

Keep the consumer confidentAnthony Heywood, BRE, outlines theimportance of MCS under the new government“The Department for Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) consultation on theRenewable Heat Incentive (RHI) closed on 26 April and was followed closely by theclosure of the Low Carbon Buildings programme a few weeks later. So we now have towait for DECC to publish its response before we know the full details of the RHI. There isalso concern that the new coalition government has not yet publicly reaffirmed itscommitment to the scheme. However, one thing is clear – the drivers to reducegreenhouse gas emissions are not going to diminish and the need for more small andcommunity-scale renewable heat installations is only going to increase – however thegovernment provides support. And MCS will continue to be an essential part of the newmarketplace providing the underpinning that is so essential for consumer confidence.”Anthony Heywood, BRE, says MCS is essential for consumer

confidence.

Finance and renewablesPeter Frost, managing director, Viessmann, takes a viewon the financial aspect of renewables

Sound advice: Peter Frost, managingdirector, Viessmann believes it is timeto start using the renewabletechnologies we have and make use ofgovernment incentives to achievetargets

The Vitosol-T and 200-Ffrom Viessmann.

Knowledge: Micro CHP


CombinedknowledgeBaxi outlines how its BaxiEcogen micro-CHP is thenext generation of homeheating

ombined heat and power (CHP) is thesimultaneous generation of usableheat and electricity in a single

process. According to Baxi, micro-CHP will bethe biggest change in the home heatingindustry since the introduction of thecondensing boiler and is its natural successorbecause it will be readily accepted by themass market as a straightforward replacementfor a conventional wall-hung boiler.

Unlike solar or wind-poweredtechnologies, micro-CHP operates at specifictimes of the day when the carbon intensity ofgrid-provided electricity is at its worst, usuallyin the morning and early evening.

Quiet operationBaxi Ecogen is a wall-hung micro-CHP heat-only boiler that uses a free piston Stirlingengine to generate 1kWh of electricity whileproviding space heating and hot water. Baxihas developed the technology specifically fordomestic applications and to provide anappliance that operates virtually noise andvibration-free, in a case similar in size to astandard domestic boiler. It is suitable for useon open vented and sealed systems, fortemperatures 70-80°C. It has a maximum heatoutput of 24kW (6kW from the engine and18kW from the supplementary burner) and isover 90 per cent efficient, says Baxi.

Baxi offers a one day micro-CHPawareness course. An accredited two daycourse, recognised by BRE, providing theskills specific to Baxi Ecogen for MCSinstaller certification, is also available.

Space saver:The Baxi Ecogen fits neatlyinto the kitchen or utility room

BaxiEcogeninternal

C

This technology offers savings onfuel bills and less dependence on theelectricity network. At peak times of usea top-up may be required from the grid.When demand for electricity in the homeis low, any surplus generated may besold back to the grid.

Baxi Ecogen is fully compliant with2010 Building Regulations and can helpspecifiers to meet the requirements of theCode for Sustainable Homes.

Community useAs part of its Secure Warm Modernprogramme, Nottingham City Homes hasinstalled a Baxi Ecogen micro-CHP in thecommunity area of a shelteredaccommodation complex. Rona Court inNottingham comprises 32 one-bedroomflats. The Baxi Ecogen is providingheating and hot water for the communallaundry, a kitchen and a large room thatis used by all the residents. It is alsogenerating 1kW of electricity that can beused on site.

Positive resultsPaul Ruston, project manager forNottingham City Homes, explains: “Weare trialling the Baxi Ecogen at RonaCourt with a view to installing similarunits across our managed housing stock.The unit produced nearly 70 kW in itsfirst fortnight, and has provided plenty ofhot water, as well as keeping thecommunity area lovely and warm for ourresidents to use.”

Helping withfuel povertyA Baxi Ecogen installed in a Link Housingproperty has helped lift the occupants outof fuel poverty. The tenants, a staff nurse,her daughter and baby granddaughter,were relying on electric storage heatersand were spending at least £50 per week.

Link Housing arranged for theproperty to have mains gas connected sothat the Baxi Ecogen could be installed,just in time before the coldest winter for30 years hit the UK. The tenant wasworried that, with a baby in the house,fuel bills would be even higher.

However, the combined gas andelectricity bill for October to January wasonly £293 – saving them almost £300 ontheir expected fuel costs. The BaxiEcogen generated 1154kWh, and theelectricity that was not used in the homewas exported back to the grid.

The householder was delighted.“During the hardest winter for years, weworried about the cost of keeping warm,based on the money we spent last year,”she said. “It has been a great relief andwonderful surprise to find that, simply bychanging our heating, we have madesuch huge savings.”


Knowledge: Case Studies

A new building for BowbridgePrimary School in Newarkincorporates a range ofsustainability features includinga Hoval biomass boiler, solarwater heating, rainwater toiletflushing and a sedum roof. Thebuilding has also been designedto make full use of naturaldaylight and non-mechanicalventilation.

Head teacher, David Dixon,is a champion of sustainabilityin the education sector and hasalready embedded the conceptsof sustainability throughout theschool’s curriculum. The schoolalso works to raise awareness ofthese issues in the widercommunity.

“The new building hasbeen designed on the back ofthe work we’ve been doing inthe school and with localpeople,” he explains. “It isdesigned to be as close tocarbon neutral as we canmanage and will be an exemplarof what can be achieved,” hecontinues.

The school was designedby Nottinghamshire CountyCouncil and final year studentsfrom the Nottingham UniversitySchool of the Built Environmentwere also invited to proposeinnovative designs. In parallelwith the sustainable design, itwas decided to use eco-friendlyconstruction materials and tosource as much from within a50 mile radius as possible. Thiswas one of the reasons forselecting Hoval biomass boilers,which are manufactured inNewark just a few miles from

the school. This was one ofmany biomass boilers suppliedto Nottinghamshire CountyCouncil properties as part of thecouncil’s Wood Heatprogramme.

The Hoval BioLyt boiler,used for space heating and tosupplement the solar waterheating, is fuelled by woodpellets produced locally fromwillow-based short rotationcoppice plantations. The schoolis also planting its own smallwillow coppice to demonstratethe principles of biomass fuelsto pupils. In addition, the ashfrom the boiler is used tofertilise the school’s kitchengarden, where it grows its ownvegetables for school dinners.

“We evaluated fuel costsand found that as gas pricescontinue to rise the woodpellets are on a par with gas andare set to become cheaper,”David Dixon explains. “Theboiler is also very easy to use asit has automatic fuel feed andash removal. The wood pelletsare stored in a specially-constructed transparent pellet

hopper so that people can seehow it works,” he adds.

A high level of visibility forthe principles of the buildingand its services is a key elementof the underlying philosophy.The atrium, which allows a lotof natural daylight into thespace, will also feature aspecially designed display toshow information such asenergy consumption. Similarly,there are plans to install a smalldemonstration wind generator,though this is unlikely to make amajor contribution to theschool’s power supply.

The building usesrecovered rainwater for thetoilets and also has an area ofsedum roofing to encouragebiodiversity. Part of the soft-playarea is made from recycledtraining shoes.

Funding for the project wasachieved through a variety ofsources, including the countycouncil, the Bioenergy CapitalGrants Scheme (Big LotteryFund), the Carbon Trust andlocal businesses.

What: Sustainableheating and hot waterat Bowbridge PrimarySchool

How: Incorporating aHoval biomass boiler

Result: Providing spaceheating and tosupplement solar waterheating

b I O M A S S

School of thought: A Hoval biomass boiler is one of the sustainable features atBowbridgePrimary School


What: Heating and hotwater solution athousing partnership inSuffolk

How: Using Baxi solarthermal technology

Result: 100% of thehot water needsduring the summerand helping to achieveLevel 3 Code forSustainable Homes

S O l A R T H E R M A l

Knowledge: Case Studies

A Baxi Group heating and hotwater solution, featuringrenewable solar thermaltechnology, has secured Codefor Sustainable Homes Level 3rating on two newdevelopments in Bury StEdmunds, Suffolk for theHavebury Housing Partnership.

Completed in December2009, Out Westgate, is a £3.7mdevelopment of 30 new,affordable dwellings on abrownfield site. 26/26aBloomfield Street consists of twoground and first floor flats. Bothprojects incorporate BaxiSolarflo™ in-roof panelsspecified in combination withSanton Premier Plus Solar twincoil, hot water cylinders andPotterton Promax SL heat onlyboilers. This integrated BaxiGroup solution delivers a lowcarbon result for Havebury,generating enough solar powerto heat up to 100% of each

property’s hot water in thesummer and approximately 55%annually.

“The Baxi panels haveproved instrumental inachieving our Code Level 3goal,” says James Mann,architectural services managerat Havebury HousingPartnership. “They are easy tofit and link up well with theSanton storage cylinders andPotterton boilers to provide acomplete system. They are alsoexcellent for the environmentand, of course, our tenants whocan now look forward tosubstantially reduced heatingbills.”

Depending on the size ofproperty, either one or two BaxiSolarflo™ panels have beeninstalled into each roof andwere fitted by contractor Pro-Mech. At Out Westgatefourteen houses are fitted withtwo panels and sixteen flats

with a single unit. Solar gain ismaximised on thesepredominantly south-facingdwellings thanks to special Baxicontrols. Baxi Solarflo systemsare supplied with the pumpstation and controller pre-wiredwhich reduces installation timesignificantly.

Central heating andadditional hot water is providedby Potterton Promax SL boilersin each home.

Hot property: With solar thermaltechnology in place, homes at theHavebury Housing Partnership havesecured Level 3 Code for SustainableHomes

Becosolar has been specified toprovide and install high qualitysolar photovoltaic modules atRattery Village Hall as part ofextensive energy savingmeasures to reduce runningcosts following a siteassessment carried out byDevon Association ofRenewable Energy.

The village hall committeehas been able to benefit fromfunding available from the LowCarbon Building Programme aswell as receiving grants fromSouth Hams District Counciland smaller contributions fromlocal sources which has paid forover half the cost of the initialinstallation.

After winning acompetitive tender due to thebest design offering and theability to provide a local service,Becosolar installed 180Wmonocrystalline solar modulesto the existing slated roof usingthe SEN Sol 46 roof mountingsystem. One hundred moduleswere installed to give an 18 kWpsystem which will produceapproximately 16,500kWh ofelectricity per year and saveover 9 tonnes of CO2 from being

generated. The system has beenconnected via three SMASMC6000 inverters and featuresa large display in the entrance ofthe hall to show the accurateoutput and CO2 savings.

Commenting on theproject, Rachel Coaker,chairman of the village hallcommittee said: “ We chose tospecify Becosolar after apresentation given by thecompany regarding the benefitsof renewable energy. Ratherthan baffling us with science,the concept was explained to usin a language we couldunderstand, giving usconfidence in the project.” Shecontinued: “As a competitively-priced, local company we havebeen extremely pleased withthe results gained by installingthe Becosolar system, whichwill have paid for itself inapproximately eight years dueto the Feed-in Tariff systembeing introduced this year.”

The Feed-in tarifflegislation will fix an above-market rate on the price ofelectricity bought fromrenewable energy producers.This means that self-sufficient

energy producers will be eligiblefor an increased pay-back onany excess electricity producedwhich is then fed back into thegrid.

The reduced running costfor the hall has allowed thecommittee to keep hire chargesfor the hall to a minimum for thevarious functions and localevents that are held in thefacility.

With over 20 years’experience designing andinstalling photovoltaic solarenergy systems, Becosolar areone of the UK’s longestestablished solar energysolutions providers, specialisingin PV systems for industrial,commercial, marine anddomestic applications.

Shining example: Becosolar installedsolar photovoltaic modules at Ratteryvillage hall as part of energy savingmeasures to reduce running costs

What: Solar PVsolution in a villagehall

How: Using Becosolarsolar PV modules

Result: Theproductionapproximately16,500kWh ofelectricity per year anda saving of over 9tonnes of CO2

S O l A R P v


As buildings take

advantage of a wider

range of heat sources it

becomes increasingly

important to manage

these sources

efficiently. Ian Dagley of

Hoval explains

Renewable energy sources are proving to be

a key tool in enabling organisations to reduce

energy consumption and carbon emissions,

and renewable heating is proving particularly

effective. However, this does present a

challenge for the installer, in terms of

bringing different sources together –

particularly when they vary on an hourly or

daily basis. Solar irradiation, for instance,

can range from 100Wh/m2 of collection area

under cloudy conditions to over 1000Wh/m2

when the weather is sunny.

Inevitably, then, when such variable heat

sources are used they need to be backed up

by additional heat sources – which can also

be renewable - such as biomass boilers. Or it

may make more sense to use a gas-fired

condensing boiler as back-up, particularly

when return water temperatures are

relatively low and will maximise condensing.

So the key here is to decide which heat

sources will work well together in a

controllable fashion and which overall

solution gives the best results for that project.

Solar heating, for instance, is particularly

good for projects with a large heat sink such

as swimming pools. Or it may be used for

domestic hot water (DHW), with top-up from

another source if and when necessary – this

approach is certainly the most common

configuration in larger projects.

The other thing to consider, of course, is

the anti-legionella regime, which may be

based on pasteurisation. In these instances it

makes sense to minimise the volumes of

stored, pre-heated potable water and to store

the solar energy in a thermal storage vessel

and pre-heat the cold feed water through a

suitable heat exchanger.

For example, in one project Hoval

supplied a CombiSol thermal storage vessel

which was fed by our SolKit solar panels, two

of our Belaria air source heat pumps and a

BioLyt biomass boiler. The CombiSol used in

this case has a 1,200 litre capacity vessel

with an internal 300 litre stainless steel

sphere for DHW.

Making effective use of thermal

stratification, the CombiSol ensures that

water at the top of the vessel is at the

required temperature and that DHW is

maintained at 55ºC. Where solar energy is

able to meet this requirement, the hot water

is fed to the top of the vessel. When less

solar energy is available, the lower grade

heat is fed to the bottom of the vessel to pre-

heat the water and act as a thermal battery.

There are also two heat pump circuits, one

providing high grade heat to the top of the

vessel, the other supplying low grade heat to

the bottom of the vessel.

As mentioned above, biomass boilers

are often chosen as a suitable back-up heat

source to solar, or they may form the main

renewable element of the project. When

introducing biomass, though, it’s vital to be

aware of all the implications – from the

engineering design through to the day-to-day

practicalities of living with a biomass heating

system. For example, in summer when there

is no space heating requirement, it may not

be cost-effective to run a biomass boiler just

for the hot water system. Instead, solar

panels, heat pumps, smaller gas-fired

condensing boilers or a combination of any

of these might be the best option.

Indeed, this illustrates the key principles

of making optimum use of the heat sources

that are available. Understanding the nature

of the project and predicted heat usage,

combined with an equally good

understanding of the characteristics of each

heat source, will make it possible to achieve

the best mix. And Hoval is able to provide

specialist technical assistance if required.

The Hoval Solkit. In one of the company’s projects, a

CombiSol thermal storage vessel was fed by Solkit

solar panels, two Belaria air source heat pumps and

a BioLyt biomass boiler

Hoval STU wood pellet biomass boilers, available from 100-1200kW, offer efficiencies up to 90% with low carbon monoxide

emissions

Advertorial

The right heat for the job


Knowledge: Products

Home heating solution

Grant UK will be exhibiting a whole‘green’ home heating solution,including solar thermal, solar pv,unvented twin / triple coil cylinders,thermal stores and the new Aerona airsource heat pump range. There will alsobe an opportunity to gain advice on thelatest Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)from one of Grant’s renewablemanagers.

Take the tube: Mitsubishi will be exhibiting its Ecodan and the company currently has aanimated film on YouTube explaining how the system works

Winning ways: To win a set of Boschpower tools, visit the Worcester stand.The company will also be showing itsrange of renewable heating technologies

Expert opinion: Grant renewable managers will be on hand to offer advice onmicrogeneration and the company will be exhibiting a whole ‘green’ home heatingsolution

Energy partnership on showThis year’s Oil and Renewable Heating Show is a totally new event bringing oil andmicrogeneration technologies under the same roof

ou will have noticed the registration form for the Oil and Renewable Heating Show inside thisissue of REI. Fill it in to avoid queuing at the event which takes place on 28-29th October 2010at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. The show will provide the perfect opportunity to see the latest

innovative technology and will bring together developers, manufacturers and suppliers of energy technologyunder one roof. The event is supported by the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) and will for the firsttime unite oil and renewable technologies at the same expo.

Exhibitors will include major equipment suppliers and renewable energy solutions providers.Commenting on the launch of the new show, Jeremy Hawksley, director general, OFTEC, said: “Oil is

the perfect partner for renewable technologies such as solar thermal.”The show will include a comprehensive programme of free seminars, covering key issues such as

training, building regulations and how to comply with the latest legislation.Jonathan Hibbert, show organiser, said: “The Oil and Renewable Heating Show will provide solutions

for the challenge of meeting carbon emission reductions. It will offer technicians, architects, specifiers andlocal authorities the chance to find out more about the future of heating.”

Cyber solutionsFor anyone wanting to understand how an air source heat pump canhelp reduce fuel bills and emissions, should visit the Mitsubishi Electricstand. And if you can’t wait until then, take a look at YouTube wherethe company has released a short animation explaining how its award-winning Ecodan system works.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeVJS_SK2fg shows just how easythe unit is to install. Mitsubishi is said to be ideal for retro-fit and canalso help a new house achieve Level 4 of the Code for SustainableHomes.

In it to win itInstallers visiting the Worcester stand will be entered into acompetition to win the latest Bosch power tools. You’ll also beable to sign up for free OFTEC training. The company will alsobe unveiling a number of new developments throughout 2010 soinstallers visiting this stand will be able to find out more aboutthese.

The stand will also be showcasing a selection ofWorcester’s current renewable heating technologies, includingthe Greenskies solar water heating system, Greenstore groundsource heat pumps and Greensource air source heat pumpswhich provide environmentally-friendly solutions to domesticheating and hot water provision.

Y

Knowledge: Funding

20| www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk

“Whatever funding strategy thecoalition government uses toencourage the take up ofrenewable heating technologies,it is clear that financial incentiveswill be vital in order to achievewide-scale uptake among homeowners and social housingproviders.

“We only have to look at theprevious government’s BoilerScrappage Scheme to see howpopular such incentives can be inmotivating home owners tobecome more energy efficient.The Boiler Scrappage Scheme inEngland closed to new applicantsin April 2010, after all theavailable funding was allocated injust four months. It was thescheme’s success, not its failurethat caused it to be so short-lived.

“Funding for electricitygenerating technologies alsoended under the Low CarbonBuildings Programme earlier thisyear and was followed by thelaunch of the Feed-in Tariffs(FiTs) scheme last April. For heatgenerating technologies, aproposed Renewable HeatIncentive (RHI) was set to replaceLCBP in April 2011, as originallyplanned by the formergovernment, and was still onschedule after the consultationperiod closed on April 26th.However, the coalition has said it,‘will be considering further therole that financial incentives canplay in helping us to meet ourrenewable and carbon targets’ soat the moment it is unclear whatposition they will take on RHI.

“The Renewable HeatIncentive, conceived to take theform of a tariff paid to consumerswho choose to add to the stock ofrenewable heat generatingtechnologies, would take the roleof encouraging investment inrenewable technologies through asubsidy framework. For air sourceheat pumps, such as DaikinAltherma for example, theproposed tariff is 7.5 pence perkWh for systems up to 45kWwhich will be paid for 18 years,and for solar thermal systems upto 20KW, the tariff is 18p per kWhwhich will be paid for 20 years.

“Under this system, thesavings paid back to homeowners could be worth severalhundred pounds every year. So, ifthe RHI goes ahead as proposed,it would offer a very attractivereward for home ownersbenefiting from renewable energyheating systems, making newproperties with these systemscorrespondingly more attractivethan homes with central heatingsystems that do not qualify for theRHI – and no doubt increasing

home owners’ willingness tomake improvements to olderhomes.

“As we all ponder what thenew government’s ‘austeritymeasures’ will mean for us inreality, there is little doubt thatany continued rises in the cost ofliving will make the lower runningcosts of renewable technologies areal bonus for householders, whoneedn’t compromise on systemperformance in order to savemoney,

“The Daikin Altherma hightemperature system, for example,can supply all of a home’s heatingand hot water requirements withflow temperatures of up to 80°C,even when the outsidetemperature is as low as -20°C. Itprovides a direct alternative forboiler replacement, as it can fullysupport existing radiator systems,providing a highly efficient andversatile high temperaturesolution which does not require anon-renewable back up heatingsystem. And because it’s alsosimple to fit, with no gas supply,flues or ventilation required,

installation costs are comparablewith any other heating system.

“Like the forward-thinkinghomeowners who are nowstarting to realise the benefits ofrenewable energy systems, manysocial housing providers havealready found Daikin Altherma apractical, low maintenancesolution to meeting domesticheating and hot water needs,whilst often exceedingrequirements from BuildingRegulations and emissionstargets. As they are highlyefficient (310% efficient, comparedto an A rated gas boiler which hasat best 93% efficiency) they alsogo a long way to easing fuel bills.

“By moving forward with theRHI in 2011 and, in the meantime, continuing to flesh out thesubstance of a ‘Green Deal’ forhouseholds, the new governmentwill enhance those economicbenefits even further.

“There’s no doubt that Junewill be an important month for theCon-Lib coalition to prove itsenvironmental credentials. Underthe Renewable Directive, the UKhas to submit a National ActionPlan to the European Commissionby the end of June 2010, detailinghow it will meet its obligations.So we are keen to see what thegovernment will propose – andtrust that it will either continue tosupport the RHI or bring in evenswifter measures to help the UKto meet its legal obligations inEurope, as well as rising to thechallenge of creating a greenereconomy.”

Renewable Heat Incentive should go aheadRenewable heating systems will be key to meeting the UK’slegally binding targets of generating 20% of energy fromrenewables by 2020. So, maintaining attractive incentives forhomeowners will be vital to encourage the widespread adoption ofrenewables, despite the recent cut to the Low Carbon BuildingsProgramme says Pippa Wibberley, heating director at Daikin UK

A schematicshowing theAltherma hightemperaturesystem

Showing support: PippaWibberley, heating director,Daikin, is backing theRenewable Heating Incentive


Old dog, Nu tricks

New technology made easy

• Underfloor heating – from extensions tomulti-site developments.

• Heat pumps – ground source, air source and exhaust air models with complete design and commissioning service.

• Solar thermal – full range of flat panel models.

Each technology available individually or as an integrated package.

Full system design warranty.

Award-winning manuals and User Guides.

Training in renewables and underfloor heating available at our accredited training centre.

To request a brochure and dvd visit our website at www.nu-heat.co.uk/rei0310 or contact us on 0800 731 1976.

Nu-HeatU N D E R F L O O R & R E N E W A B L E S

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design | innovation | expertise | servicewww.nu-heat.co.uk

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Gren Ward, managing director, Biasi UK, hasstrong opinions on the way forward for therenewables sector. With solar thermalexpertise, he outlines his company’s ActivSolpackage which aims to open up the solarheating market for the installer

“Twelve years have passed since Labourfirst gained power and it that time we haveseen a significant shift in way we approachelection time! As installers, we have had oureyes on a couple major issues – the building ofnew housing and the part renewable energy isgoing to play in our hot water future. Thoseproducing energy-efficient technology forhomes and businesses, such asourselves, will face an uphill struggleif Westminster delays the support needed togrow the renewables sector, leaving ussignificantly adrift of European targets,” saysWard. He believes that up until now, theindustry has been driven by one or twopioneers and that government gestures to getthe renewable sector moving have either beentoo small or too complicated. “There’s noquestion capital cost and the uncertainty overinstallation is putting people off the idea atthis current moment but there are some stepsI feel could make massive inroads if the nextgovernment takes them on board,” he adds.

Ward would like to see a law stating thatnew-build properties – domestic, commercialand industrial – must have 20 per cent of theirenergy supplied by renewabletechnologies. “So far, those willing to take upthe technology have been crippled by largecapital costs, a complicated grant system andno benefit to the householder if they thendecide to sell their home. So why not givethese pioneers a VAT break on all theirrenewable purchases? We could fund this‘break’ with a simple rise in stamp duty whenit comes to purchasing a property with highemissions.”

Industry controlsWard would also like to se the industry takingcontrol of its own actions through simplemeasures such as ensuring modern, efficientcontrols are used on installations. “Controlsare becoming easier to install and offer morefunctionality. For instance, there are wirelesstime and temperature controls and boilersprewired to accept outside sensors. Zoningallows us to heat only areas of the propertythat are in use and at different times of theday. To get this message across to theinstaller, manufacturers already invest largesums of money in training facilities. Whatmight help is if these additional skills wererewarded in the installers’ approval schemes,”he explains.

Good news for installersBiasi’s ActivSol aims to open up the solarheating market for installers. This has beendesigned with simplicity in mind and the

packages come in two, three or four solarpanels to suit most sizes of home. The packcontains all the components for a successfulinstallation; the twin coil solar cylinder,expansion vessel, pumps, controls, insulatedflow and return pipes. The panels themselvesare made from a 4mm prismatic glass and ahigh quality robust aluminium frame. Finallythe ActivSol package includes a Biasi ActivA‘A’ rated system boiler.

“The package meets three needs of theinstaller, which have held back solar sales,”says Ward. Firstly, ActivSol contains all thenecessary components needed for aninstallation. Next, the pack is delivered directfrom Biasi’s Midlands warehouse to the sitethe day after being ordered from the installer’slocal merchant. Lastly, the total package ispriced to give a highly competitive margin tothe installer. Ward has high expectations forthis product and its ability to expand the solarmarket for both installers and merchantsuppliers.

Got it in one: Gren Ward, Biasi. The company haslaunched a solar package to meet the needs of theinstaller

Solar Trades Association slates LCBP closureThe Solar Trade Association (STA) has commented on the closure of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). In a story on its website, theassociation says that “whilst it recognises the new government’s budget predicament and the desire to reduce the deficit as quickly as possible,there is also a requirement to meet a range of targets including the clear aim of obtaining 12% renewable heating by 2020”. The STA says that “itbelieves pulling the relatively small budget required to support the LCBP until the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is aretrogressive step and will cause the loss of jobs in the industry just at the moment the country wants to build capacity to install hundreds ofrenewable heating systems each year”.

The association has called on the government to find the money to support the LCBP until the launch of the RHI. Howard Johns, chairman ofthe STA said: “This is very bad news for the solar industry, and a very disappointing move from the new coalition who is aiming to be the greenestgovernment ever. Solar thermal offers the UK a unique opportunity for jobs, growth and energy security and yet we have once again beenundermined for short term gain. At this point we have no idea what the RHI will look like and whether we will get it at all – effectively leaving oursector in limbo and jobs at risk.”

Knowledge: Solar thermal

Packaging up solar thermal

“There’s no questioncapital cost and theuncertainty overinstallation is puttingpeople off the idea atthis current moment butthere are some steps Ifeel could make massiveinroads if the nextgovernment takes themon board”


Centre set to plug skills gapMark McManus, managing director, Stiebel Eltron, outlines his company’sinvolvement in the future training needs of the renewables sector“Training is at the heart of the UK’s ability to meet its green energy targets,” says McManus. “In total 160,000 jobs are estimated to be created inthe green industry over the next ten years. However, there is a mountain to climb. The government has set a target of producing 20 per cent ofenergy from renewable sources by 2020. Drilling that down, 12 per cent of heat production must come from renewable sources and all newproperties must be built to zero carbon standards by 2016. These are extremely ambitious targets when you consider that just 1.5 per cent ofenergy came from renewable sources in 2006 and today only 0.6 per cent of heat is generated by renewable sources,” he adds.

The challenge is made greater because the number of skilled tradesmen knowing how to fit and maintain green power equipment withinbuildings is desperately limited.

“As a manufacturer of microgeneration equipment, we are firmly committed to plugging this skills gap. In July we are opening the GreenEnergy Training Centre (GETC) at our UK head office on Merseyside. This is a joint venture between ourselves, Scientiam a North West-basedskills training agency and the Skills Funding Agency. It will be one of the first centres in the UK dedicated to training installers on microgenerationequipment such as heat pumps, solar panels and solar pv,” McManus outlines.

The GETC is planning to formally train nearly 1000 tradesmen each year. “This is a massive increase on the 100 or so UK installers wepresently train by flying them out to our head office in Germany. Our aim is for the GETC to become a best practice example that others can followand we are very excited about opening the centre this summer and welcoming the new generation of green energy tradesmen,” he explains.

Knowledge: Training

Through increased investment and toughcarbon emission targets, the green energysector in the UK continues to prosper. TheClimate Change Act has committed thecountry to ambitious greenhouse gasreductions on 1990 levels of 42 per cent by2020 and 80 per cent by 2050 and this hasbrought a sense of urgency to a sector withhuge potential.

The Bain Report published in (2008)suggests there are 5,000 direct full timeemployees recorded in the UK large-scalewind energy industry (both onshore andoffshore) and wave and tidal industriescombined, and that the sector will deliver noless than 70,000 new jobs by 2020,encompassing senior and mid levelmanagement roles, as well as high-skilledlabour. This equates to a 25 per cent per yearincrease.

This growth will be seen in sectorsranging from offshore wind power to eco-friendly packaging design. The demand fortalent is vast and is likely to proliferate acrossall sectors, from consultancy and supply chaincompanies, to the energy companiesthemselves. Research, manufacturing,operations and maintenance, construction anddevelopment are all areas of employmentgrowth and will continue to develop as theindustry secures further investment.

Skilled workers will be vital forconstruction and operations and maintenanceroles. Similarly, those with a management orcommercial background within the traditionalenergy sectors will be required to oversee the

development of upcominggreen energy projects andcutting-edge technologies,from wind turbines tosmart grid software.

As with any industryin its infancy, rapid growthbrings skills shortages.Just as the water, gas andelectricity sectors haveexperienced shortages inrecent years, the greenenergy sector is currentlylacking skills, both forskilled workers as well asoperations and seniormanagers.

These shortages haveresulted from a number offactors, including anageing workforcedemographic, a lack oftrained and skilledemployees comingthrough the system. Butthese shortages have beenexacerbated by employer’sreluctance to take onmanagers and skilledworkers from othersectors.

Rick Eggleston,managing director ofREpower commented:“Many energy and supplychain companies advertise

for, and hold out for, candidates withdirect renewables experience ratherthan tapping into the rich pool oftransferable skills from related sectorssuch as oil and gas, utilities andtelecoms.

With an expansion from 5000direct jobs to 70,000 by 2020, a 25 percent per year increase, employers mustlook further afield, and start bringingpeople into the industry from a wideremployment pool. This includesproviding the correct ’bridge’ trainingcourses and giving new managers andskilled workers the time and supportrequired to make the transition.”

Transferable skills key for green sector job demand

Transferable skillswill help meet futuredemand for greenjobs

Knowledge: Training

Up-skillingexpertiseBPEC provides generic, industry-recognisedtraining and certification packages aimed atup-skilling plumbers and heating engineers.The organisation works with over 300 collegesand private training centres regarding gas, oil,water and electrics and has developed a large portfolio of renewable energycourses.

These include solar thermal, heat pumps, rainwater harvesting andgreywater recycling, woody biomass, renewable energy awareness andunderfloor heating, shortly to be supplemented by a solar PV course.

All BPEC renewables courses are accepted by the various bodies nowoffering routes to funding under MCS as evidence of training.

For more details visit www.bpec.org.uk or call 0845 644 6558.

SSA-approvedcoursesEpogee offers installation courses in solar thermal, solar PV, hydro and windplus a variety of non-installer courses. Over the last seven years, Epogee hastrained over 3,000 installers and continues to be a popular choice. Epogee solarcourses are approved by the Solar Standards Association (SSA) and oncompletion an SSA certificate will be issued. Installers will also benefit from oneyear’s free membership to the SSA. The Epogee courses are run from twolocations – Oakham (near Leicester) and Bromyard (near Hereford). Epogee staffhave been involved in the renewables field for over 15 years, and have hands-onexperience of both installation and equipment design.

Course dates for solar thermal:25th June; 30th July; 27th August.Course dates for solar PV:11th June; 23rd July; 3rd September.www.epogee.co.uk

Courses forexperiencedinstallersLogic4training provides a range of renewable energytraining courses for experienced installers wishing to expandtheir skills. Courses include domestic energy assessortraining, solar thermal hot water, solar photovoltaic (PV), andground and air source heat pumps.

In addition to the technicalities behind installingrenewable technologies, Logic4training’s renewable energytraining courses provide candidates with a background tothe renewables market, plus information regarding routes tofunding, such as the Microgeneration Certification Scheme(MCS).

Logic4training’s renewable energy training coursesinclude: • Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) training course – City

& Guilds level three diploma for DEA, allowingsuccessful candidates to assess and issue domesticenergy performance certificates. On completion,candidates are automatically registered with theH&VCA.

• Solar thermal domestic hot water heating trainingcourse – entry-level qualification for experienceddomestic heating installers or plumbers. The solarthermal domestic hot water heating training covers allmajor system and panel types.

• Solar photovoltaic (PV) training course – entry-levelqualification for experienced domestic/commercialelectricians. The course covers the predominant PVsystems (grid connections) and training includesregulations, system design and servicing.

• Heat pump training course – entry-level qualification inground and air source heat pumps, for experiencedheating installers wishing to install heat pumps indomestic and small commercial properties.

www.dimplex.co.uk/switch

ACCREDITEDINSTALLER

Join us and become a Dimplex Renewables Accredited Installer Heat pump installer training courses available Training venues throughout the UK Independently accredited by Logic Certification £200 off and free commissioning on your first heat pump purchase

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Monday: Most of our larger jobs start on aMonday morning to give our engineers time tocomplete before the weekend. Smaller jobstend to start later in the week – but workplanning is done by Toby. By 8.10 today hehas dispatched four teams to four differentsites around the area – no mean feat! Oneteam has gone to Furley to install PV, solarthermal and a gas boiler in a domesticdwelling. Another team has gone to installunderfloor heating, in preparation for a heatpump. Our third team is involved in acomplete refurbishment project and is carryingout first fix plumbing – again, underfloorheating will be installed. Our last team isinvolved in a local domestic plumbing job.Things are pretty quiet when the vans have allrolled out.... except for the phones... and thevisitors to our educational showroom.

Tuesday: Each day has the same routine –engineers out at 8.10am and returning at5.00pm – it is the crunching of the gravel asthe vans return that signifies the end of theday!

Back in the office, though, things are notquiet. Simon, our general manager, spendsmuch of his time preparing quotes and talkingto people who drop into the showroom. Thishas working displays of PV, solar thermal,

biomass, rain harvesting, light tubes and heatpumps. In a normal week, we will have over30 people through the doors. Today is noexception.

Jenny is one of our office stars – everyafternoon she sorts out our paperwork andaccounts. Also, she places an order every dayat 3pm to Plumb Center or PTS forconsumables, which are delivered the sameday. This works really well for us – just-in-time delivery!

Wednesday: After the normal morningroutines, today we had a photographer in totake some shots following our recent award(H&V Renewable Project of the Year) –although no one here is keen on beingphotographed!

I (Andy, the MD) spend much of my timeon the road, visiting jobs and doing surveys. Itravel far and wide, assessing the best systemto meet a customer’s requirements. Toby, asusual, is out with the engineers, projectmanaging the installations.

Thursday: Today, I’m giving a talk to SouthCerney Primary School, which I love! Mypowerpoint presentation shows children howwe can reduce our carbon footprint andpreserve the earth’s resources. I am often out

at a school in Gloucestershire because Ibelieve a seed planted now will have a hugeeffect on the environment later on.

Sales representatives often drop in to seeus and today we are visited by WPL whichmanufactures rain harvesting systems and hassent a rep to go out on a site visit with Toby.Much to his amusement, she pulls on herwellies and gets stuck in!

Friday: Fridays are madly busy. Today, Simonis putting together a heat recovery ventilationquote for a customer who visited theshowroom last week. He also mans thephones which constantly ring – there is muchinterest in PV now that the feed-in tariff hasbeen introduced.

In a typical week, like this one, we willhave installed a PV system, two solar thermalsystems, a heat pump and one or twounderfloor heating systems.

Saturday: The engineers have the day offbut this is our busiest day in the showroom –especially if the weather is good. It is great tosee the interest in carbon neutral technologiesand we are always happy to show people howthings work – and how we can all invest in thefuture.

www.cotswoldefficientenergy.com

My Working Week

Who: Cotswold Efficient Energy Centre(CEEC) – Andy Buchan, MD; TobyBuchan, director; Simon Egerton,general manager and a team ofexcellent engineers

What: We are a family business thathas provided efficient heating andplumbing solutions to homes in andaround the Cotswold area for over 20years. Our main focus of work is zerocarbon and low carbon technologies –we are passionate about reducing ourcarbon footprints and preserving theearth’s resources for future generations.We have built an educational showroomthat has working displays of solarthermal hot water systems, PV, heatpumps, rain harvesting systems, lighttubes, heat recovery systems andbiomass heaters and boilers. We havewon a number of awards that recogniseour commitment to this area – EnergyEfficient Installer of the Year,Environmental National Award, H&VRenewable Project of the Year – andgive educational talks on a regular basis.

Driving force: CEEC not only manages to install renewables, offer expert advice and service but it also finds time to educatechildren and pick up national awards!

Winning awards and teaching kids

ren ew able...ren ew able ener gy ins tall er the business of microgeneration solar thermal solar pv...

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