Empowering communities to support microgeneration by removing barriers: consultation launched
Following a 'collaborative' consultation process, the Government has published a consultation document on a Microgeneration Strategy. In line with the Big Society agenda, it is hoped that microgeneration initiatives can help communities become more self-sufficient in the way they use heat and power on all scales, from small to large.
Homes, schools and businesses are already guaranteed cash payments through the ‘feed-in tariff’ for producing their own green electricity through technologies such as solar panels or small wind turbines, as well as for selling it to the national grid. The aim of the document is to explore a range of non-financial barriers that have the potential to prevent the microgeneration sector from realising its full potential.
The consultation document summarises the issues, presents the evidence, makes specific proposals and seeks responses to a range of questions.
The Microgeneration Strategy consultation document will look forward to 2020 and cover England only. It seeks views on four key areas that can help decarbonise the way we heat our homes and businesses, reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions and contributing to our target of sourcing 20% of all EU energy from renewables by 2020.
The consultation covers four key areas for development:
* Quality: to ensure consumers have confidence that equipment and installation is reliable and adheres to the highest standards
* Skills: to develop the microgeneration supply chain to ensure it is properly equipped with the right people to meet the expected rise in demand, as well as creating and sustaining jobs in the UK
* Technology: to examine technology development including performance improvement
* Information and Advice: to provide more accessible advice and information about Microgeneration to consumers
The final chapter looks at broader issues, with a focus on community-level solutions and decentralised energy more generally.
The Green Energy (Definition and Promotion) Act 2009 commits Government to consult on a new Microgeneration Strategy with the expressed purpose to promote microgeneration technologies in England only.
The Government will aim to publish the final Microgeneration Strategy in spring 2011.
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