By Renewable Energy Focus staff
The strategy to promote renewable energy microgeneration and decentralised aims to address the non-financial barriers to microgeneration including achieving consensus in the industry around core messaging, ensuring that an adequate skills and knowledge basis exists and balancing the need for consumer protection with the need to grow the market for renewable energy microgeneration systems and technologies.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker, says: “I want to see a revolution in energy generation at a local level, giving genuine power to the people. We want to help people who are enthusiastic to generate their own energy matched by an industry with the desire, creativity and tenacity to grow in a sustainable and responsible way. That’s why we have worked with industry to develop a clear way forward which includes cutting red tape for micro hydro projects helping this industry to prosper.”
The strategy includes actions to improve the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) process, making it work more effectively for SMEs while continuing to protect consumers – for example by allowing greater flexibility in the treatment of micro hydropower installations.
Other actions include ensuring consumer protection is maintained across the microgeneration sector, and developing the skills and knowledge needed that are needed as it expands, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), says.
The strategy defines microgeneration as renewable energy installations generating less than 50 kW for electricity and less than 300 kW for heat.