Industry supports call for new domestic heat policy Published:  15 September, 2016 Industry has welcomed a new report that calls for reform of the government’s heat strategy, which it describes as extremely expensive and difficult to achieve. The damming report described the government’s current stance, and the role that electric heat pumps play in the domestic decarbonisation landscape, as a ‘colossal waste of money’, while simultaneously calling for policies to make better use of gas for domestic heat. Neil Schofield, head of government and external affairs at Worcester, Bosch Group, commented: “The report’s description of domestic heat as a ‘Cinderella’ of energy and climate policy is an accurate reflection of the lack of understanding among our leaders about how we actually heat our homes and the potential impact that the replacement of old non-condensing boilers could have on greenhouse gas emissions.” Mr Schofield noted how the report echoes heating industry concerns regarding the government’s original policy to replace gas fired boilers and with electric heat pumps in four out of five homes. “As the report suggests, a reliance on electric heat pumps is not only futile but incredibly costly. The physical size of heat pumps also makes the concept unsuitable for the majority of UK homes meaning the policy is simply not feasible,” he said. “If we also consider that the country would need approximately 100 extra power stations, each the size of Hinckley Point, to support the amount of electricity required to replace gas heating systems, it is shocking that this idealistic strategy has held prominence for so long. Previous administrations have been hell-bent on pursuing this course of action and we hope that this new report will open up the possibility of combined approach to carbon reduction.” Mr Schofield holds that replacing old, non-condensing boilers by installing condensing boilers will go a long way towards meeting carbon emissions targets, and supports the Policy Exchange’s suggested measure of making better use of gas. In addition, a tightening up of control requirements, in order that a boiler’s temperature and firing can be accurately regulated is key to maintaining a sustainable, low carbon future. Mr. Schofield also supports the additional solution laid out by the report relating to the greening of the gas grid itself. “Injecting biogas, or on a more radical scale replacing the gas grid with hydrogen, is indeed an option and is already being trialled at sites in Leeds and Sutton Coldfield,” he said. “Policy makers must accept that we have an enviable gas infrastructure here in the UK, and that gas fired central heating is the norm. We simply need to make the best of it rather than attempt the costly wholesale replacement of the gas infrastructure with electric.” He concluded: “This report is a welcome sense-check and I look forward to the ideas outlined in the report now gaining traction in order to deliver a new, more malleable carbon reduction policy.” The Energy & Utilities Alliance (EUA) agreed that decarbonising heat must be affordable and a new heat policy must recognise this. Mike Foster, chief executive of the EUA said: “The vast majority of UK households are connected to the gas grid. Rather than rip out heating systems and make the grid obsolete, it makes sense to decarbonise the gas we use. This report by Policy Exchange suggests this is the most cost effective option for the UK to follow. The government now needs to do all it can to facilitate this. “Green gas is now being recognised as the preferred solution to meet UK heat demand, which is seasonal and demands a flexible supply. Our members are poised to deliver; we now need that green light from the government for green gas. “There is no easy option for the UK, all means to decarbonise will cost consumers, but it is imperative to keep these costs to a minimum. Previous policy direction did not do this. I hope this report helps the new government set a new direction.” Source link

Franco-Swiss cement group hails $1.4bn deal as ‘important step’ in divestment plan ©EPA LafargeHolcim, the Franco-Swiss cement group created by a €41bn merger last year, is to sell off some of its Indian operations in a deal worth $1.4bn. The Zürich-headquartered company said it had “entered into a letter agreement” with Indian conglomerate Nirma for the divestment of Lafarge India, which includes three cement plants and two processing facilities. More On this topic IN Construction Eric Olsen, chief executive of LafargeHolcim, said the $1.4bn deal, which includes debt, was “an important step” in the divestment programme on which the company had embarked in an effort to streamline its business in the face of difficult market conditions. “With this deal, two-thirds of the programme has been secured and the remainder of the programme is well on track. We are confident that we will meet our target by the end of this year,” said Mr Olsen. “With the proposed buyer we have found the right partner who will be able to develop the business further in the interest of all our stakeholders.” Shares in LafargeHolcim, which have fallen more than 40 per cent over the past year, were up 3.04 per cent on Monday afternoon, making the cement group the biggest climber in Switzerland’s blue-chip index. Since the economic slowdown that followed the financial crisis, the cement industry has been suffering from a global supply glut, which has put pressure on prices. In response, Mr Olsen — who believes LafargeHolcim over-invested in the past — is shifting the group’s business model towards lower capital spending and stronger cash flow generation. The cement group has promised shareholders SFr3.5bn of disposals in 2016, but said last month that a portfolio review had identified a further nine countries “where we will seek opportunities to divest if we can achieve favourable valuations”. LafargeHolcim, which operates in about 90 countries, had already made other divestments this year, offloading assets in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, and merging operations in Morocco. The group said on Monday that it would use the proceeds of the India deal — which is subject to approval by India’s competition commission — to pay down debt. However, the transaction does not mean that the cement group is exiting the Asian country, which is now the world’s fastest-growing big economy. LafargeHolcim still operates through two subsidiaries there, ACC and Ambuja Cements, whose combined annual capacity is more than 60m tonnes of cement. Lafarge India can produce 11m tonnes of cement each year. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link

£6.5m biomass energy project at The University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus is officially opened to mark the completion of the project. On August 1st 2017 members from The University of Northampton and sustainable energy specialists, Vital Energi took the opportunity to celebrate the opening by officially switching the 27 sqm LED screen on, which was performed by Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor at The University of Northampton. The £6.5m project has seen Vital Energi work closely with the University’s Project Management team at Mace to deliver a 1MW Biomass-powered energy centre following the completion of the 1.6km district heating network which will distribute the heat and hot water to 16 buildings around the campus. The energy centre uniquely features an LED screen on the flue shaft which has been incorporated to enhance the visual architecture of the building. The biomass scheme has been designed to produce less emissions than traditional systems and will lower carbon emissions by over 1,000 tonnes initially. When the Combined Heat & Power Engine is scheduled to be added, this will increase to 2,200 tonnes per year which is the equivalent of taking 431 cars off the road annually. Mike Cooke, Regional Director at Vital Energi commented, “Creating a renewable energy solution for a new city centre campus is an ambitious objective however the University have achieved this while demonstrating their commitment to sustainability. From the energy centres unique architecture and cladding, through to the LED screen on the flue shaft; creating a great example for industry.” In addition to the biomass boiler, the energy centre contains three 4MW gas fired boilers and a 120m3 thermal store. Bob Griggs, Project Director at the University of Northampton said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to develop the University’s commitment to its sustainability agenda and environmental infrastructure has been a key factor in the planning and construction of the Waterside Campus. By working with Vital Energi we have a sustainable, future proof heating network which will service the campus well.” This exciting development has seen the re-generation of a brown field site, transforming it into a vibrant, environmentally friendly campus, bringing the 58 acre site back to life and kick starting development in Northampton’s Enterprise Zone.

17 March 2016 | Marino Donati BIFM chief executive James Sutton has suggested that Chancellor George Osborne’s latest budget, delivered yesterday, was “somewhat limited” as regards the drive for greater productivity. Commenting on the Budget, Sutton said: “The Chancellor set the scene with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s revised growth forecast for the UK economy until 2020, with an expectation of slower growth than previously anticipated and further uncertainty for the global economy. “Although he stated that his measures would help create an enterprise culture, we felt that the announcements were somewhat limited. These appeared to focus on financial controls and taxation breaks for business as a way of increasing income, rather than focusing on the full range of productivity drivers.” Sutton cited the FM sector’s major contribution to the UK economy, accounting for around 7 per cent of overall GDP, roughly 10 per cent of the UK working population and up to £111 billion a year to the UK economy. “With this in mind we would have welcomed further stimulants to upskill existing workers,” said Sutton.  “The emphasis on educational improvements was focused on future generations, an important area, but there was little on developing our current workforce and those immediately entering work. It is these people who are able to impact productivity and growth with immediate effect. “FM professionals have a significant role to play in enabling productivity in the workplace. We would have liked to have seen a stronger focus on in-work development programmes and schemes. For example, the opportunity to progress and develop skills means employees are often better engaged and more productive. Therefore, we were surprised to have not seen the chancellor build on the foundations of the apprenticeship levy announced in the Autumn Statement.” The Chancellor also used the budget to announce the abolishment of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) energy-efficiency scheme. It will be phased out at the end of the 2018-19 compliance year, with government working with the devolved end on closure details for the reporting element of the scheme.   The CRC, a mandatory reporting and pricing scheme designed to incentivise energy efficiency and cut emissions in large energy users in the public and private sectors across the UK, was introduced in 2007. The decision to scrap it follows a consultation on simplification of the business energy tax landscape launched last September.   The cost of abolishing the CRC scheme will be met by an increase in the main rates of the Climate Change Levy from April 1, 2019, according to the Budget statement. There will be an equivalent increase the CCL discount for sectors with Climate Change Agreements to compensate for the increase in CCL main rates. The CCL discount for electricity will increase from 90 per cent to 93 per cent, and the discount for gas will increase from 65 per cent to 78 per cent from 1 April 2019.   The Budget statement also said the government would allocate at least £50 million for innovation in energy storage, demand-side response and other smart technologies over the next five years to help new technologies and business models access the market. Source link

Flow Energy has launched its Flow Eco RF boiler which could reduce gas bills by up to 15 per cent and carbon emissions by 20 per cent. The independent supplier is expanding its heat product range in a bid to offer consumers more choice and the chance to save money. Consumers will be able to control the internet-connected boiler through an app on their smartphone. The boiler also has remote diagnostics allowing for issues to be fixed directly from installers offices and reducing the need for call-outs. The boiler will be manufactured by Intergas and will be sold by Flow’s Brand Ambassador installers across the UK. This model removes wholesalers from the supply chain to give installers an increased margin and end customer’s better value. Flow group chief executive Tony Stiff said: “The energy supply division of our business has grown phenomenally in the past year, and we’re keen to replicate this growth in our products division. “We’re doing this by partnering with the likes of Intergas to deliver exciting and innovative heating products, such as the Flow Eco RF boiler, and by leveraging our strong existing Brand Ambassador network we’re taking a completely new approach to the heating market.” Flow is offering the boiler as part of a 10-year home energy bundle which includes the boiler, installation, 10 year warranty and the intouch system.  In 2015 Flow group created an innovative micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) boiler designed to convert heat from combustion into electricity. By generating power at the point-of-use while using the heat, the Flow boiler significantly reduces the carbon intensity of that power. Source link

The UK government is seeking views on regulations surrounding its flagship Starter Home programme in England and has issued a consultation document. Under the regulations, which will form part of the Housing and Planning Bill, the government plans to allow build to rent developers to build Starter Homes off-site. ‘We propose that private rented sector developments could contribute to starter home provision and the requirement should be met through an offsite contribution for delivery of starter homes,’ the consultation document says. Overall it proposes a new statutory framework for Starter Homes that will include a general duty on local planning authorities to promote the supply of Starter Homes when carrying out their planning functions. The Bill would include a clause that sets a Starter Home requirement which means that local planning authorities may only grant planning permission for residential developments if the Starter Homes requirement is met. There would be reporting arrangements to ensure local communities, and especially first time buyers, are aware of what action local planning authorities are taking to support the delivery of starter home; and powers for the Secretary of State to intervene if local planning authorities fail to carry out their functions related to Starter Homes. ‘We are taking forward ambitious measures to increase the supply of housing and improve prospects of home ownership for many. We aim to deliver one million new homes to boost housing supply significantly. We want to ensure young people are not denied that which their parents took for granted, the opportunity to buy their own home, settle down and enjoy the security that home ownership brings,’ said Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis. ‘That is why we have committed to building 200,000 high quality Starter Homes exclusively for young first time buyers under 40, to be sold at a minimum of 20% below the open market value. We want to see Starter Homes built on housing sites across the country,’ he explained. ‘The Housing and Planning Bill sets out the statutory framework for the delivery of Starter Homes, and will be supported by changes to national planning policy,’ he pointed out. The Government has already announced a £2.3 billion funding package to support the delivery of up to 60,000 Starter Homes. Of this funding £1.2 billion will, in the first instance, be made available to remediate or assemble brownfield land to deliver at least 30,000 Starter Homes through the Starter Homes Land Fund. The technical consultation document seeks views on the details for the regulations to be made under powers contained in the Housing and Planning Bill, including options for the Starter Homes requirement on reasonably sized sites. ‘We want to hear views so the resulting regulations are feasible, proportionate and effective. I am confident that these reforms will help a generation of young people into home ownership,’ Lewis added. The British Property Federation has been calling for build to rent developments to be exempt from providing an on-site Starter Home provision throughout the Housing and Planning Bill process, as it believes that an unbroken block is more appealing to investors. ‘We are pleased to see that our calls for build to rent to be treated differently have been recognised. An unbroken block where all the units are for rent is much easier to manage and much more attractive to investors, which is why a mix of private and discounted market rent system works well,’ said Ian Fletcher, director of policy (real estate), at the BPF. ‘The build to rent sector has the potential to deliver a significant number of new homes and drive up standards in the private rented sector, so it is good to see that Starter Homes will not be an obstacle to development,’ he added.   BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?)      Source link