News
News in brief
Government funding
Architects hit by recession
Architects in the UK are beginning
to claim benefits at a faster rate
for solar PV dries up
than other related professions,
according to figures from the monitoring spend, they should have
Office for National Statistics. been doing a budget, they should
Benefit claims by architects rose Shutterstock have seen it was running out and
by 760 per cent between February should have been going back to the
2008 and February 2009, the sponsoring department and saying
biggest increase among recorded ‘this is where we’re getting to, can
professions. we have a managed exit from the
programme’. Just pulling the plug
Journal website winner from the wall is not the way to do it.”
The winner of the recent CIBSE He added: “It’s all about
Journal online survey has been managing expectations and,
announced. Alasdair Munro of unfortunately, the way this has been
Hulley and Kirkwood Consulting done means the expectations are for
Engineers has won £200 of snap decisions that leave people a
vouchers of his choice after taking bit in the lurch.
part in the survey. “It’s not helpful [to the industry]
having another work stream drying
Buro Happold contract up right now.”
Buro Happold has been But architect Craig White said:
appointed as the engineering “I actually think PV is not a starting
consultant for the Barnsley point for a renewable strategy, it’s
Building Schools for the Future the most expensive and the least
(BSF) programme. The town’s 13 The big rise in interest in fitting photovoltaics has meant the funding has been used up efficient. We shouldn’t be robbing
existing secondary schools will biomass to pay for PV.”
be replaced with nine Advanced money ran out to fund the scheme. PV worked best as part of a whole
Learning Centres. n
The UK government has
suspended all applications Originally, applications were being suite of renewables combined with
for schools, hospitals and accepted until the end of June 2009. energy efficient measures, he said.
Support for new role other public buildings for solar DECC said the reason for the The real question was whether
CIBSE has voiced its strong photovoltaic (PV) grants, after decision was the significant interest grants should be used at all to fund
support for the government’s money ran out four months ahead shown in PV grants. Originally the new green industry. He believed
suggested new chief construction of schedule. money allocated to funding solar they shouldn’t as they are very
officer role, which will include Phase two of the Low Carbon PV grants was £17.5m. This was expensive to administer.
acting as a champion of Buildings Programme provides later increased by £7m, but all the A DECC spokeswoman said: “We
the sector. CIBSE said the grants to public sector buildings money has now been committed. recognise the popularity of the Low
appointment would “ensure and charities for the installation of Funding for other technologies is Carbon Buildings Programme has
an overall strategic view of microgeneration technologies. still available. led to an oversubscription in solar
construction at the highest level”. But the Department of Energy Hywel Davies, technical director PV applications. We are discussing
and Climate Change (DECC) has of CIBSE, criticised the decision. He with industry what options are open
Philips buys lighting firm now put applications on hold after said: “Project managers should be to us to address this.”
Electronics company Philips has
acquired lighting controls firm
Dynalite for an undisclosed sum.
Philips said the deal would help
Strong growth for solar thermal
it respond to growing demand
for energy-saving lighting Solar thermal markets around the collectors have proved to be the hot water and space heating are
solutions. Dynalite, which has 130 world are showing healthy growth most popular choice globally popular systems in Germany, Austria
employees, is based in Australia, rates, new research suggests. – apart from China and Korea, and other northern European
UK, China and Dubai. Key factors driving global where vacuum tubes are the countries. However, this is not the
growth include rising energy costs, preferred system. case in southern Europe, China, and
Advice service planned changes in building regulations and In terms of material, almost all the US, where systems are only used
A one-stop shop for advice government incentives. countries opt for either a u-shaped to supply sanitary hot water.
on health and safety and The study by research body or heat pipe type of vacuum tube Prices for solar thermal collectors
employment legislation is BSRIA shows that the Chinese solar collector. Other types of collectors have risen in the past few years as
to be piloted. The move was thermal market continues to boom, are popular only in Turkey, France a result of rising raw material costs.
announced by the Department with some suppliers offering poor- and Switzerland. However, there is potential for
for Business, Enterprise and quality products. Coxial vacuum tubes dominate prices to decrease as competition
Regulatory Reform (BERR), In the US, tax credits for solar the French market, as they are increases in the market. On average
which says the advice will help products helped to produce a 40 perceived to be more efficient. The the price of solar collectors in
businesses comply with the law per cent surge in solar water heater market share was expected to reach the UK remains higher than in
and save them time and money. sales, the report found. Among 55 per cent in 2008. continental Europe.
www.berr.gov.uk solar thermal products, flat plate Combi-applications for sanitary www.bsria.co.uk
8 CIBSE Journal April 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEapr09 pp08 news.indd 8 2/4/09 14:53:07
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