UK - Budget bonus for microgeneration

The microgeneration industry today warmly welcomed Chancellor Gordon Brown's Budget announcement that an additional £50 million will be available to develop microgeneration technologies under the new Low Carbon Buildings Programme. The Government intends for this to be an opportunity for extra money to be spent by local authorities, schools, and other public bodies using their bulk purchasing capability in order to boost mass production and accelerate reductions in cost of mass market microgeneration technologies. The Low Carbon Buildings Programme is aimed at householders, communities and large scale projects which install microgeneration technologies such as small wind turbines, solar panels, ground source heat pumps and micro-combined heat and power. BWEA CEO Marcus Rand said: “This is fantastic news for the rapidly developing small wind sector. We are confident that the huge public interest in small wind will ensure this additional fund is used to the full. This additional allocation for microgeneration demonstrates that the Government is realising the potential of this sector and giving it the weight it rightly deserves”.

Dave Sowden, Chief Executive of the Micropower Council said: “This is a real boost to the microgeneration industry. We have long been putting the case for market transforming policies of this nature. We are very pleased the government is taking such a strong interest in the scope for microgeneration to reduce carbon, save consumers money, and change attitudes in the way people regard their own use of energy”. The Department of Trade and Industry is due to publish its Microgeneration Strategy next week which will set out details of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and how the Government will remove barriers to microgeneration, including metering and planning regulation.

Meanwhile BWEA has launched a new online resource for members of the public and businesses who want to investigate the possibility of having their own domestic wind turbine. BWEA's one-stop shop (www.bwea.com/small) is a comprehensive guide to small wind energy and provides information ranging from technologies available through planning and grid issues to FAQs and case studies.