Feb 8 2006
The renewable energy industry has responded well to increased demands from a market that has been stimulated by DTI's Clear Skies renewable energy grant scheme - which is now nearing completion - according to the scheme's manager.
The DTI funded and BRE managed Clear Skies initiative has helped householders and communities to install renewable energy technologies to their homes and community buildings, by providing grants and access to advice.
'The several million pounds worth of grants awarded in recent years - and the associated information and publicity - have strengthened demand for renewables technology,' says BRE's Project manager for Clear Skies, Chris Roberts. 'This has helped to provide a stable market for the industry.
'In rising to the challenges of producing better, more efficient and more cost effective renewable energy sources,' says Roberts, 'the industry has developed new and innovative products such as roof-top wind turbines and solar thermal collectors'.
The quality of installation has also been very high. In a survey of those awarded grants, the overwhelming majority described the technology installers as 'helpful' or - more often - 'very helpful', and declared themselves satisfied with the installation. In the same survey the Clear Skies' application process was described by most to be 'very easy'.
'Not only have existing manufactures and installers responded well to the strengthening market,' says Chris Roberts, 'but also other companies seeing the new stability in renewables have moved into this area.'
In the recent final round of the community grants scheme, a further £690,000 were offered to 45 projects to install renewable energy technologies - wind, solar, ground source, biomass and hydro - in schools, housing, village halls, visitor centres religious buildings and many other community facilities.
This brings the funding offered by the community scheme to more than £6.5 million for projects with a total value of nearly £14.5 million. An additional £5.2 million has been awarded through the scheme for householders.
Originally due to end in March 2005, the success of Clear Skies prompted the Government to extend the scheme for a further year. While the final round of community grants has now been completed, household grants will be considered up until the scheme's conclusion in March 2006 (subject to available funds).
The DTI is developing a replacement grant scheme to take over from Clear Skies (and the PV Grants scheme) from April this year. Details should be published shortly.