ENERGY SAVING Microgeneration and why it is the future NAPIT Technologies that generate energy – heat and Solar water heating systems use heat from the use in vehicles it is thought that widespread domestic from Ofgem and can sell it to a supplier so that they electricity – at a scale for domestic use are usually sun to work alongside conventional hot water use is some years away. can claim it towards their obligation. director referred to as microgeneration technologies. There’s systems. The technology is well developed and While removing regulatory barriers for electricity There are other funds (RECOs and LECs) but the a lot going on in the world of microgeneration and a typically covers summer heating needs and 50 per export and introducing grants to counter high up-front complexity of the systems is not helpful to small scale David quick resume of some of the key activities indicates cent of winter needs. costs, both mentioned above, are two steps that applications. Cowburn that we’re going to see a large growth in its use. Biomass can include waste and crops like oilseed address some barriers, others remain. Ofgem, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, rape but in microgeneration terms is realistically The DTI’s Microgeneration Strategy (March 2006) Local production highlights the has announced that regulations will be streamlined to limited to heating systems burning wood pellets, suggests that unless a premium price is placed on remove regulatory barriers to exporting electricity from wood chips or logs. This is carbon neutral provided electricity exported by microgenerators, only biomass The national grid is designed for electricity to flow issue of microgenerators to the national grid. B&Q and Currys that an equal amount of carbon-capturing trees are heating is currently cost effective. Even with from large centralised stations down to consumers. carbon have both announced decisions to stock and sell planted to replace those burned. advantageous pricing it is thought that cost Local production being pushed back into the system solar generators and wind turbines to the public. Wind turbines are increasingly being used at effectiveness will only be reached after another five or was never envisaged and a future highly distributed dioxide The DTI has launched an £80m grant programme small scales (2-6 kW electrical power) in schools, ten years in some cases. power system needs research and investment if the to support the take-up of microgeneration technology council offices and farms and the technology is The Renewables Obligation places a specific DTI’s levels of use are to be met. A £2.5m project emissions under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. available for domestic use. requirement on electricity suppliers to buy from called Supergen is beginning to address the issues of and the The Building Research Establishment has been Water turbines are not well established for small renewable energy sources. A microgenerator can be voltage rise, reverse power flow, unbalance and fault appointed to develop schemes for ensuring that the scale use but could be successful in the range 1–25 awarded an ROC (Renewable Obligation Certificate) levels. efforts being performance of equipment is reliable – it does what it kW. Their use is very site The Building Regulations can and will drive the made to claims to do – that equipment installers are specific both in terms of technologies used in new buildings. It is likely that competent to design and install the equipment success and cost. future tightening of Part L (Conservation of Fuel and combat this correctly – so that the householder is assured of a Heat pumps can pull Power) could see microgeneration move from being sound installation. heat from a “store” such as helpful to being necessary in new buildings. main cause Add to this the sudden proliferation of the earth (a “ground Planning is also critical. Some authorities have of climate associations, industry groups and advisory bodies source heat pump”) into already started to put targets into their new buildings’ around every element of the sector and it can look like the heating system. This strategies that require the use of new technology. For change a minefield. So what exactly is microgeneration? works like a fridge in work on existing buildings the greatest need is for The Energy Act 2004 defines microgeneration as reverse and by pumping clarity about planning requirements. This is mainly an “the production of heat and/or electricity on a small- the working fluid (the educational need. scale from a low carbon source”. In other words, the “refrigerant”) through the There is also a need to educate installers and consumer generating their own energy rather than system one unit of householders. To date, there have been too many buying it. In fact, when they produce more than they electrical input to the flawed installations because the technology was not can use, the consumer can sell their excess electricity compressor can deliver properly specified or understood. When wood into the national grid. 3–4 units of useful heat. burning appliances are installed in houses without Micro-CHP is not a adequate fuel stores, or a householder has solar hot Work on a geothermal Renewable industry renewable technology but water systems installed without being told that system. is low carbon by virtue of supplementary systems will be needed in winter, the Microgeneration should not be confused with its overall efficiency. The whole credibility of the industry suffers. renewable energy, some technologies still use fossil technology is based on All of this needs to end up with a well understood, fuels but all of them produce lower carbon emissions gas-fuelled engines reliable and trusted sector, in terms of the equipment, than the alternatives. (internal combustion or the those selling it and those installing it. If you consider a situation where a consumer is quieter external If we can address all issues, the DTI predicts that buying electricity generated in a gas fired power combustion Stirling by 2050 we could see 30–40 per cent of electricity station, only 40-45 per cent of the energy contained in engine) but takes generated from microgeneration equipment, saving the gas makes it to the house – losing 53 per cent advantage of using 15 per cent of the UK’s household carbon emissions. cooling water in towers and around three per cent per exhaust gas for heat as What this means for competent persons is that the 1000 km in transmission losses down the wire. well as the engine for 80,000 installations in place now must grow to 20 If you generate locally you can use any heat electricity (1–12 kW million, with a vision of almost 1 million installations yourself and there’s no transmission to worry about. typically). per year within the next decade or so. And that means High efficiency equals low carbon emissions. And Fuel cells chemically an industry of less than 300 installers growing to a that’s just fuel burning technology; the others are combine fuel (hydrogen is level of 15,000 installers in the same time. zero-carbon. the cleanest and most As you can see, challenges and opportunities lie The following technologies are now eligible for efficient) with oxygen to await in abundance. government installation grants: produce electricity directly Solar photovoltaic uses energy from the daylight rather than via combustion. A solar system for cooling and heating installed at (not direct sunlight) to generate electricity. While they are already in an office block in Essex. 14 NAPIT 0870 444 1392 www.napit.org.uk NAPIT 0870 444 1392 www.napit.org.uk 15.