NEWS All the latest news from around the building industry In Brief
CRC LEAGUE TABLE UNVEILED The first league table, ranking larger companies by their cuts in carbon emissions, has been published. The list is based on metering data provided by companies that come under the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme – those that consume at least 6,000 megawatt hours of energy a year. http:// publications.environment-
agency.gov.uk
CASH FOR STALLED SCHEMES Developers whose projects have been stalled by snags such as contaminated land and road-access problems can apply for a share of a £500m of government cash. The Growing Places Fund ‘will put local businesses and organisations in the driving seat’, according to the Communities Department.
www.communities.gov.uk
FUTURE OF PFI TO BE REVIEWED The Public Finance Initiative (PFI), which has been used as the bases for funding many building developments, is undergo a ‘fundamental reassessment’, George Osborne, the Chancellor, has said. It could lead to a new model for public-private schemes, the Treasury said.
SCOTTISH RENEWABLES LIFTED The Treasury has also announced an extra £100m of funding for renewable marine energy projects in Scotland.
GREEN DEAL REPORT The Green Deal for non- domestic buildings alone could create an £800m energy efficiency market, according to a report by analysts Ernst & Young, which adds that the government must also ensure the policy is ‘business-centric’.
www.ey.com/uk
Opposition grows to planned cut in FiTs
l Policy could face judicial review but minister calls for ‘holistic’ approach
The government’s controversial decision to slash feed-in tariffs (FiTs) for PV solar panels faced the threat of a possible judicial review as the Journal went to press. Environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth (FoE) said it would seek a judicial review of the decision unless ministers backed down on the cut. The new lower tariff for PV systems – dropping
from 43.3p per kWh to 21p – will apply to installations completed on or after 12 December 2011, and will take effect from 1 April 2012. However, while announcing these deadlines, the government also set up an apparently fast-track consultation on the changes, with a closing date for comments of 23 December. ‘The government is breaking the law with its
plans to fast-track a solar industry kill-off,’ said Craig Bennett, FoE policy campaigns director. Several solar power firms, housing associations
and politicians also joined forces to call on the Prime Minister, David Cameron, to intervene over the proposals. Energy Minister Greg Barker suggested that one
reason for cutting the tariff for PV installations was to promote a ‘holistic’ and ‘whole-house’ approach that ‘prioritises energy efficiency’. He said that ‘all
The tariff for PV panels has been halved
new domestic PV sites from April 2012 must meet the minimum energy efficiency standards’. The consultation on PV tariffs includes a proposal
that ‘a property would need to reach a certain level of energy efficiency’ to be eligible to receive the tariff. The ‘certain level’ could include achieving an Energy
Performance Certificate rating of at least C, or ‘taking up all the measures potentially eligible for Green Deal finance’. Dave Sowden, chief executive of the Micropower
Council, said: ‘The speed of the changes will also leave many companies with stranded assets, a plethora of contractual disputes in the industry, and another race to beat the six week deadline. This is a real mess.’
For more information visit:
www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/ consultations/fits_comp_rev1/fits_
comp_rev1.aspx
Lawyers warn of Green Deal ‘flaws’
Legal experts have expressed doubts about the viability of the government’s flagship policy for cutting energy use. The Green Deal, which is due to start next autumn, will provide upfront funding for energy efficiency improvements in homes and small businesses. But delegates at last month’s
CIBSE Funding Mechanisms for Sustainable Buildings conference heard that the model was potentially flawed. Charles Woollam, a chartered surveyor, and Chris Edwards,
6 CIBSE Journal December 2011
solicitor at sustainability and commercial property legal practice Siam LLP, argued that landlords might block many of the projects. They also cast doubt on the reliability of the data used to ensure projects did deliver the promised energy savings to end-users. ‘We are in danger of constructing
a regime that will suffer from obstruction and inertia, created by landlords worried about how the benefits are to be delivered,’ said Edwards. ‘With leases getting shorter due to the current climate, landlords
are worried about being left with a financial obligation, which they will have to try to pass on to prospective new tenants.’ The energy saving measures
paid for must satisfy the Golden Rule, which means that the charge does not exceed the predicted savings. However, this is another source of potential concern, according to Woollam. ‘It is highly probable that many measures will fall foul of the Golden Rule. There is a problem with the quality of energy performance certificates. Lots of people don’t believe what they say.’
www.cibsejournal.com
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