[ Spotlight: Heating and ventilation ]
waning and utilities companies are increasingly trying to encourage a shift in heating demand to off -peak periods, to reduce the pressure at peak times.’
Jon Cockburn, head of marketing for Heatrae
Sadia, adds: ‘Where electric heating is concerned, electrical contractors can now provide their customers with a multitude of options that are a great deal more advanced than outdated, infl exible night storage heaters. Electric boilers, hot water cylinders and solar thermal are options that are not only effi cient, but are also the perfect solution when mains gas isn’t available or viable.’
Opportunities Indeed, the government’s heat strategy document, published in March 2012, said that technologies using electricity to generate heat – including heat pumps and more conventional resistive heating – are well placed to become major low carbon heating technologies in the coming decades. For Thomas Mortimer, general manager of
Wessex Renewable Energy, heat pumps off er electrical contractors a prime money-making opportunity. He says: ‘Because there are so many diff erent heat pumps out there, knowing how to wire, set up and control each individual unit presents real challenges. I think there is a defi nite niche in the market for electrical contractors skilled at wiring all the diff erent heat pumps.’ Graham Hendra, managing director of
Freedom Heat Pumps, agrees: ‘Heat pumps are basically boilers that live in the garden, but there are considerably more electrics in a heat pump than in a gas boiler. So, although electrical contractors may not secure much work entirely for themselves, teaming up with a plumber who is involved in renewables would, I think, be a sensible thing to do.’ Mr Hendra says that either the plumber or the
Legislation changes
The government has unveiled long-awaited changes to Part L of the building regulations that are now due to be implemented in April 2014. Among the revisions are that new homes will have to be six per cent more effi cient than under current regulations. Meanwhile, a new government initiative currently out for consultation is the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), which is designed to help UK enterprises improve profi tability through better information on how to save energy. ESOS is intended to promote the uptake of cost-eff ective energy
effi ciency measures by requiring large UK enterprises to undertake energy effi ciency audits by December 2015 – and every four years thereafter – to identify cost-eff ective ways to invest in energy effi ciency. The ECA’s Bill Wright says: ‘There could be a golden opportunity here, particularly for larger companies. In addition to paying fi rms for generating energy, there are even proposals to pay those who achieve sustainable reductions in energy use through energy effi ciency and other measures .’
Government initiatives
The coalition government has introduced several renewable support schemes since it has been in offi ce. They include: The Green Deal – the government’s fl agship carbon emission reduction policy designed to encourage people to take energy effi ciency measures such as installing insulation, double glazing and renewables
Energy Company Obligation – The ECO for the big six energy suppliers is in three parts: Aff ordable Warmth Obligation – To provide heating and insulation improvements for low-income and vulnerable households
Carbon Saving Obligation – To provide funding to insulate solid- walled properties (internal and external wall insulation) and those with ‘hard-to-treat’ cavity walls
Carbon Saving Communities Obligation – To provide insulation measures to people living in the bottom 15 per cent of the UK’s most deprived areas
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) – An incentive scheme designed to reward those who use renewable energy to heat their buildings, the RHI was initially only available to the industrial, commercial, public sector and community organisations. However, a second phase, due to start in the spring of next year, will allow private homes to benefi t too.
Feed-in Tariff s (FITs) – This was introduced on 1 April 2010 and replaced government grants as the main fi nancial incentive to encourage uptake of renewable electricity-generating technologies
There are opportunities here for canny electrical contractors
electrician will have to complete Microgeneration Certifi cation Scheme (MCS) accreditation and the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) – due to be launched in Spring next year – makes this a worthwhile investment: ‘Whether we get the same peak in demand that happened to solar photovoltaics [when the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) was introduced in 2010] is anybody’s guess, but it would be pretty foolish not to be on the roller coaster when it sets off .’
Heatrae Sadia Megafl o Eco Solar unvented water heater
September 2013 ECA Today 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68