Industry reaction to launch of RHI ‘game changer’

With those involved in the sale, installation and production of biomass, solar thermal and heat pump technology handed a major boost, the renewable heating sector is looking forward to a period of sustained growth and consumer demand.

The launch is great news for the renewables market and we’re sure the government’s announcement will give renewed confidence to installers,” said Plumb Center’s renewables director, Simon Allan.

Clyde MacVeigh, marketing director for Dimplex Renewables, said: “This is the news that everybody in the industry has been waiting for. Finally, consumers can have the confidence to go ahead with the installation of heat pumps, solar thermal and other technologies knowing they will be rewarded for the renewable heat they generate.

Neil Schofield, Worcester, Bosch Group’s head of external and governmental affairs, said: “Although we may have known the tariffs set by the RHI for some time now, the fact that the scheme is now open for applications at least gives us some degree of assurance that the government is willing to promote growth in the renewables market. DECC’s decision to finally open the RHI for applications is a welcome one for our industry but only time will tell whether this will give the renewables market the lift it so badly needs.”

Phil Hurley, managing director at NIBE, said: “The domestic RHI is set to be a game changer for the renewable heating industry, and after a long period of uncertainty and delays, NIBE welcomes its launch. We would like to offer our thanks to DECC for demonstrating such an unprecedented level of support for renewable heat in the UK – and also to everyone involved in getting the RHI off the ground. We are optimistic that the wait has meant that industry and homeowners alike will benefit from a better scheme in the long run.”

“RHI has been planned so that it produces a long term and sustainable growth in the use of renewable technologies,” said John Kellett, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Heating Systems.

“It also makes the case for heat pumps much stronger, especially against carbon-intensive and expensive technologies such as oil, LPG and direct electric.”

Mark McManus, md of Stiebel Eltron UK, said: “We have been waiting a long time for today’s announcement, but now that it is here it has the potential to transform the uptake of renewable technologies in the UK.”

Silvio Spiess, ceo of Innasol, said: “The UK is poised for a heating revolution. We have some of the least energy efficient homes in Europe and by making the switch you not only save money each year on your heating bills (up to 45 percent) but also help to bring down CO2 emissions. The UK is far behind its European cousins due to a lack of awareness of the modern, efficient and reliable technologies already available as well as the considerable benefits they offer over traditional dirty fossil fuel solutions. We need to create greater awareness of these benefits and the government incentive launched today which pays homeowners to make the switch.”

Simon Cross, commercial director at IXUS Energy, said: “This is the news we’ve all been waiting for. We can now put the repeated delays of the past couple of years behind us, and celebrate what is great news for the industry and homeowners alike. Consumer energy choices are guaranteed to swing in favour of renewables and the thousands of households that have already invested in the likes of biomass are going to find themselves in a financially beneficial position.”

David Lacey, commercial director heating and renewables at Daikin UK, said: “The introduction of the eagerly-awaited domestic RHI should give the industry a massive boost. It will provide financial help to households wishing to make the switch to renewable heating and is a really important step in providing a secure UK energy infrastructure and in reducing carbon emissions.”

Adrian Troop, a founder and director of Nu-Heat, said: “The benefits of the Domestic RHI are that the construction of the scheme and the tariffs applicable look to be well constructed, repaying the investment in renewable installation, whilst reaping the benefits of lower running costs.  We want there to be a steady increase in the uptake of renewable technologies, allowing the market to cope with the growth and in return put out both quality designs and installations as a result.”

Paul Joyner, md of Sustainable Building Solutions, said: “The launch of the RHI today is fabulous news and we are celebrating today. This will form a major boost to the renewable heating industry and the drive to reduce the country’s carbon emissions.

“With £2.7 billion of funding available to inspire an anticipated 750,000 installations by 2020, we are expecting the RHI to do for the renewable heating sector what Feed-in Tariffs did for solar PV.”

Andy Boroughs, md of Organic Energy, said: “This is fantastic news for UK homeowners who have long struggled with rising traditional fuel bills but needed to see commitment from the government to an incentive before taking the next step.”

Trade associations
Dave Sowden, chief executive of the Sustainable Energy Association, said:  “The industry is delighted the domestic RHI has finally launched and that the journey to cleaner home heating can now begin. Installing low carbon heating technologies into energy efficient homes is one of the most important ways of securing cheap, affordable, clean energy, and this world-first scheme is a very important start.”

REA chief executive Dr Nina Skorupska said: “DECC, Ofgem and industry have been working for years on the Domestic RHI, and its launch today is a major milestone for the government’s green policy record. Households off the gas grid now have a financially attractive clean energy alternative to oil and electric heating. Already over half a million people have installed solar power in their homes to cut their costs and carbon emissions. Now millions more can do the same with solar hot water, wood fuel heating and heat pumps.”

“This innovative policy representsyears of work from DECC and many organisations such as the HPA and is a credit to all those involved” says Tony Bowen, president of the Heat Pump Association.

“The Domestic RHI will make renewable heating systems such as heat pumps even more attractive than they already are.”

HETAS’ chief executive Bruce Allen said: ‘The scheme will change the face of the renewables industry and provide valuable financial assistance to households who want to switch to renewables, particularly those in off-gas areas who wish to switch from oil.”

Paul Barwell, chief executive of the STA said: “With the launch of the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive the final piece of support for household solar technologies slots into place. Together with the Green Deal for insulation improvements and the Feed-in Tariff for solar power, householders now have a great choice of government-backed financial incentives to choose from to best suit their clean energy needs.”

Andy Deacon, director of development at the Energy Saving Trust, said: “The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) makes renewable heat technologies more cost-effective in off-gas properties – around six per cent of all UK homes – which are often heated by more expensive fuels. With rising energy bills and worries about energy security, there needs to be a major transformation in the way we heat our homes, with the domestic RHI helping to make this a reality through enabling households to receive an income for renewable energy generation, while also achieving financial and carbon savings. ”