House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 Jun 2009 (pt 0038)

24 Jun 2009 : Column 1040W—continued

Renewable Energy

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the net trading (a) gains and (b) losses in each local authority area arising from the manufacture and sale of (i) wind turbines and (ii) other means of renewable energy generation. [279128]

Mr. Kidney [holding answer 11 June 2009]: The Department supports the development of the manufacturing of renewable energy generation in the UK. This includes creating a supportive policy framework for the deployment of renewable energy in the UK (including long-term support for deployed renewable energy generation), as well as targeted support for the development of next-generation and lower cost wind energy technology. An example is the recently-launched £10 million scheme to support offshore wind deployment under the Environmental Transformation Fund, which aims to stimulate and encourage the development and demonstration of offshore wind technologies, and components for larger turbines, to enable their deployment within 2020 time scales.

However the Department does not hold information on the level of either wind or renewable manufacturing broken down by local authority area.

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average time taken for (a) solar, (b) photovoltaic, (c) ground source heat pump, (d) air source heat pump and (e) biomass microgeneration technologies to produce savings equivalent to their cost; and if he will make a statement. [280118]

Mr. Kidney: Payback periods are generally difficult to estimate accurately, because of the huge amount of variation that can come from system costs, system capacity and energy produced, fuel displaced, size of the house and energy prices from different suppliers. Payback periods will also depend on changes in energy prices in the future and as we cannot predict future trends in energy prices, it is very difficult to give an accurate payback period.

The following table details average costs of systems for each technology type and the annual cost savings on fuel bills relative to each technology type where specific assumptions have been made:

24 Jun 2009 : Column 1041W

Technology	Average total cost ex VAT (£) for LCBP funded installations (to end May 2009)	Possible cost savings from annual fuel bill (as published on EST website)
Air source heat pump	7,400	£20 to £700 savings on fuel bills per year.⁽¹⁾
Ground source heat pump	10,800	£160 to £840 savings on fuel bills per year.⁽²⁾
Solar PV	13,000	Approximately £190 saving on electricity bill per year.⁽³⁾
Solar thermal hot water	4,100	Approx £50 to £85 saving on water heating bill per year.⁽⁴⁾
Wood fuelled boiler	8,900	£170 to £410 per year if fuel displaced is solid fuel or electricity.^{( 5)}
^{(1 )}Savings are approximate and vary depending on the fuel displaced. Assumptions are that the air source heat pump provides 100 per cent. of space heating and up to 50 per cent. of hot water, with the additional 50 per cent. provided by electric heater, in a detached property. ⁽²⁾ Savings are approximate and vary depending on the fuel displaced. Assumptions are that the ground source heat pump is installed in a detached property which provides 100 per cent. of space heating and up to 50 per cent. of domestic hot water, the additional 50 per cent. is met through an electric heater. ^{(3 )}Assumes a 2kWp system with 50 per cent. on site consumption with excess exported to the grid on a typical export tariff (A 2kWp system could provide over 40 per cent. of a household’s yearly electricity needs). ⁽⁴⁾ Savings are approximate and vary depending on the fuel displaced. Savings are based on the hot water heating requirements of a three-bed semi-detached home with a 3.5 m squared panel. ⁽⁵⁾ If you replace a gas or solid fuel system with a wood burning system you may end up paying more for your fuel

Support for householders and communities has been provided through the low carbon buildings programme £131 million grant scheme which has helped with up front costs. The Government are committed to bringing forward feed in tariffs and the renewable heat incentive in April 2010 and April 2011 respectively. These incentives will also play a part in reducing pay back period.

Renewable Energy: Coventry

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to source renewable energy supplies for Coventry. [281148]

Mr. Kidney: We published last summer a consultation document on measures to meet our target of 15 per cent. renewable energy by 2020. We will publish our renewable energy strategy this summer, detailing an action plan for promoting further renewable energy deployment throughout the UK.

It is for the market to bring forward proposals for renewable energy projects in specific areas.

Renewable Energy: Pembrokeshire

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of (a) the capacity of and (b) constraints on the development of potential wave power and tidal power projects off the Pembrokeshire coast. [279455]

Mr. Kidney: The Government have recently announced that work was commencing towards a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for English and Welsh waters, which will include the Pembrokeshire coast.

As a first step, we are conducting a screening exercise to understand better the energy generation potential of marine energy devices and the realistic time scales of when multiple devices will be installed and commissioned. The screening exercise will inform planning for the various studies and other activities needed to put in place a strategic environmental assessment for marine
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energy devices. It will cover wave, tidal stream and tidal range (outside of the Severn estuary) and aims to map environmental sensitivities and constraints and to identify possible strategic level data and information gaps.

The screening exercise will build upon the data already gathered for the Offshore Energy SEA, the Severn Tidal SEA, the Welsh Marine Energy Strategic Plan, the UK Marine Renewable Energy Resources Atlas and other studies.

Renewable Energy: Public Consultation

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish his response to the renewable energy strategy consultation. [279550]

Mr. Kidney: We published an initial response to the renewable energy strategy consultation on 17 February 2009. This can be viewed on:

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_res/cons_res.aspx

The renewable energy strategy will be our formal response to the consultation and will be published this summer.

Solar Power

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will provide funding for the manufacture of domestic energy generation products using photovoltaic technology. [281229]

Mr. Kidney [holding answer 19 June 2009]: A low carbon economy represents a huge economic opportunity and is at the heart of the Government’s vision for economic recovery. Budget 2009 committed a further £1.4 billion in targeted support for the low carbon economy.

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) is the Government’s £131 million grant programme which is supporting the installation of microgeneration technologies including solar photovoltaic. The programme is helping to build the supply chain for these technologies and creating a sustainable market. In addition, solar photovoltaic also receives support through the Renewables Obligation (RO). Since 1 April 2009, all microgenerators (50 kW and under) can apply for the highest level of support under the reformed RO (2 ROCs/MWh).

We are committed to having Feed-In Tariffs in place in April 2010. This will provide longer term support for solar photovoltaic industry giving business the confidence to make investment decisions.

Solar Power: East of England

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department has allocated to promoting take up of solar panel usage in (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the East of England since it was established; and if he will make a statement. [278845]

Mr. Kidney: Between 2001 and 2006 over £41 million was committed to solar PV through grant programmes and field trials. Solar thermal technology, along with other renewable technologies, received support through the £12.5 million Clear Skies programme.

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Since 2006, solar PV and solar thermal installations have been supported under the £131 million Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). Projects supported in Mid Bedfordshire constituency and the East of England region in each year since are as follows:

LCBP householder stream
	East of England		Mid Bedfordshire
	Grant offered	Paid amount	Grant offered	Paid amount
2006-07
Solar photovoltaic	367,707.32	228,187.66	0.00	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	99,600.00	78,800.00	1,200.00	1,200.00

2007-08
Solar photovoltaic	68,765.00	172,673.68	0.00	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	52,800.00	62,000.00	800.00	800.00

2008-09
Solar photovoltaic	183,794.80	138,134.80	9,420.00	2,500.00
Solar thermal hot water	102,400.00	96,800.00	3,200.00	2,800.00

2009-10
Solar photovoltaic	37,260.00	19,420.00	0.00	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	17,200.00	14,800.00	800.00	1,200.00

Phase 1: Communities^{( 1)}
	East of England		Mid Bedfordshire
	Grant offered	Paid amount	Grant offered	Paid amount
2006-07
Solar photovoltaic	30,364.20	0.00	0.00	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

2007-08
Solar photovoltaic	5,173.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	0.00	5,276.50	0.00	0.00

2008-09
Solar photovoltaic	n/a	0.00	n/a	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	n/a	0.00	n/a	0.00

2009-10
Solar photovoltaic	n/a	0.00	n/a	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	n/a	5,173.00	n/a	0.00
⁽¹⁾ Applications closed for the communities stream in April 2007

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Stream 2A (below £100,000)
	East of England		Mid Bedfordshire
	Grant offered	Paid amount	Grant offered	Paid amount
2007-08^{( 1)}
Solar photovoltaic	36,353.50	n/a	0.00	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	43,549.90	n/a	0.00	0.00

2008-09
Solar photovoltaic	n/a	25,000.00	n/a	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	n/a	9,589.20	n/a	0.00

2007-08^{( 2)}
Solar photovoltaic	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Solar thermal hot water	26,546.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
⁽¹⁾ Applications closed for Stream 2A in September 2007 ⁽²⁾ Applications closed for Stream 2B in September 2007

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