How to receive a cheque from your electricity provider instead of a bill!
At the beginning of this month the government announced the feed-in-tariff (FITs) levels which aim to reward small scale low carbon electricity generation by households, communities and businesses.
From the 1st of April, households and communities who install low carbon electricity generation technologies up to 5 megawatts will be paid for the electricity that they generate, even if they consume this energy themselves. Further payment can be received for excess electricity released into the grid. Payment levels depend on the type and scale of technology used. The scheme will also apply to installations commissioned since July 2009 when the policy was announced. Another similar scheme which incentivises low carbon heating technologies is planned for April 2011. However while measures which make some microgeneration technologies financially attractive are positive, the best time to install renewable energy technologies is after the energy demand of a building has been reduced, for example through the appropriate insulation of the building fabric.
The introduction of FITs is just one important step towards addressing the environmental impact of buildings. According to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, buildings are responsible for almost half of UK carbon emissions, they consume 13% of all raw materials used in the UK economy and their demolition and construction account for about one third of landfill waste. There are a variety of drivers to encourage construction industry professionals to design and construct more sustainable buildings. In addition to regulatory requirements, there are business strategy based motivations, such as the desire to add value to a design through future proofing or to offer occupiers a building which presents better overall value than other buildings on the market. There is also the opportunity to save money on the running costs of premises. For some, there could even be the satisfaction of receiving a cheque from an energy provider instead of a bill!
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/policy/feedin_tarriff/feedin_tarriff.aspx
