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URGENT Lobbying help requested in UK.

Will YOUR MP sign up TODAY to Early Day Motion 143 on the Renewable Heat Incentive?

How to quickly ask your own MP to support green energy is explained here.

The Renewable Heat incentive (RHI) is a proposed 20 year guaranteed subsidy for users of renewable heating systems such as solar water heating. It would operate in a similar way to the Feed in Tariff (FIT) for users of Solartwin’s Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) Systems, where typical annual tax free FIT payments of £250 – £1500 (depending on installation size) will endure for a quarter of a century.

The key difference is that the RHI, if approved, would subsidise renewable heat, while FIT already subsidises renewable electricity.

Recent consultation on the RHI suggests that a subsidy of £100 – £200 per solar panel per year may soon be payable to users of Solartwin solar water heating installations – for a period of 20 years. This potential solar heat energy subsidy, which is NOT in place yet, would catapult solar water heating “out of the green ghetto and into the mainstream” overnight – by making solar thermal a genuinely cost-effective proposition.

As for lobbying for the RHI, Micropower Council (MPC), of which we are members, have been asking Government to make an early announcement confirming introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) as consulted on earlier this year.

As part of the MPC campaign, Solartwin are delighted to report that Solartwin’s local MP, Stephen Mosley, who has a particular interest in national energy security issues, was the 73rd MP to sign this motion when he toured the Solartwin offices in Chester on 18 June 2010! When asked if he would, Stephen Mosley signed up on the spot and without hesitation.

Thank you, Stephen Mosley, MP.

Progress in the fortnight since Stephen Mosley MP signed up has been excellent – with over two new MP’s signing up to it every day. Launched only 4 weeks ago, 101 MPs having now signed up. But – the UK parliament contains 650 MP’s, so there is more work to do! Here’s where you can help…

Is your MP a signatory yet?

To find out instantly who is your MP just type your postcode in here.

Find out if they have signed EDM 143 by following this link.

If yes   – please take the time to thank them today!

If no – please ask them to sign up right now.

Then ask in the email box which pops up automatically if they will “please would you be prepared to sign EDM on Renewable Energy at http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=41062&SESSION=905 RIGHT NOW!”.
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It is also good news that UK’s Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, gave assurances during yesterday’s Energy Efficiency debate (30 June 2010) in the House of Commons on the Government’s intention to support renewable heat.

Questioned about a potential abandonment of the RHI, Greg Barker responded: ‘we are committed to an ambitious renewable heat agenda’. Greg also mentioned the challenging renewable energy target that must be achieved and, when discussing the strategy for reaching it, stated ‘renewable heat will be a key part of it.’

While this wording is certainly encouraging,   it is NOT a clear confirmation of support for the RHI. So…

LOBBYLOBBYLOBBY!

With many thanks for your continued support – do please tell us and the Micropower Council (info(at)micropower.co.uk – please add the @)   if you have success – AND about any non-replies, dithering or refusals.

Regards, Barry Johnston of Solartwin.

PS – Energy consumed for heating accounts for 77% of energy use outside the transport sector. So although the government is not supporting it, renewable heat is a really important potential major player. And it usually makes sense to generate renewable heat (rather the more expensive but versatile renewable electricity) where you can actually use energy as heat.

But look at today’s anti-environmental / market-wrecking subsidy scenario.

Q – Should you heat you water with solar heat or solar electricity in UK?

A – Use solar heat if you are interested in the environment.

A – Use solar electricity if you are more interested in money.

Here’s why. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)’s crazy subsidy anomaly means that heating about 40% of a home’s hot water requirement – by home generating 1000 kWh per year of energy collected as…

– solar electricity to feed into an immersion heater to heat water costs about £8k to install and gains an annual FIT subsidy of £420.

Solar electric technology (PV) has a 5 embedded year energy payback. (Lower would be better.)

– solar heat used to directly heat water costs about half the cost – £4k to install, but it gains an annual RHI subsidy of NIL.

Solartwin’s zero carbon solar water heating technology has a 2 embedded year energy payback. 40% of that of solar electricity.

So the same amount of hot water can be generated with just 40% of the environmental impact. Nanny State is interfering – so that un-subsidised solar water heating is being outcompeted by over-subsidised solar electricity.

DECC are not just wrecking the solar energy market. They are also wrecking the planet. If a tweaked free market really is going to sort out the planet then DECC needs to think much more strategically. Today’s market-wrecking situation where the market for greener and cheaper technology is being squashed by DECC implementing utterly stupid state subsidy distortions needs to be addressed immediately.

PPS – Here is the exact wording of EDM 143 RENEWABLE HEAT INCENTIVE 03.06.2010 – by Alan Whitehead MP.