Court of Appeal Rejects Solar Feed In Challenge

The Government has failed to overturn a decision to block its attempts to reduce solar feed-in-tariffs.

The Court of Appeals today confirmed that it had rejected the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) challenge to a High Court ruling that its move to halve feed-in-tariffs were illegal.

However the Government has already confirmed that it will next seek to approach the Supreme Court in an attempt to introduce a new tariff, saying that current levels are unsustainable.

The feed-in tariff (FiTs) scheme- which pays households with solar panels for the electricity they produce currently pays just over 43p per kilowatt-hour generated. However the Government is concerned that the FiTs scheme has already exceeded its budget for the year and wanted to introduce a new tariff of 21p per kilowatt-hour for all solar panels installed after December 12, 2011.

The on-going challenge to the rulings means that homeowners and the solar industry alike cannot know what rate of incentive they will be able to claim.

Environmentalists and the solar industry had lead a challenge against the cuts, claiming that it threatens industry jobs and jeopardises the Government’s claim to be the ‘greenest’ ever.

Solar panels are particularly popular with electric car drivers as they can often mean drivers can recharge for free using their own green electricity.

Welcoming the news of the rejected challenge to the FiTs rate, Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director Andy Atkins said: "This landmark judgement confirms that devastating Government plans to rush through cuts to solar payments are illegal – and will prevent Ministers from causing industry chaos with similar cuts in future. ”

"Helping more people to plug into clean British energy will help protect cash-strapped households from soaring fuel bills."

Urban Energy

Urban Energy are delighted that nearly half the population would like to install renewable energy technologies; what worries us is the lack of awareness surrounding it. To bridge the Green Gap it’s essential we continue to educate consumers and break down some of the myths surrounding the Green Deal, energy efficiency and microgeneration.

Urban Energy has earned a reputation as the south’s leading renewable energy specialist. This has been achieved by ensuring that from the initial point of client contact we offer 1st class customer service and care.

We only install products that lead the way within the renewable energy industry and that are renowned for their high quality and ecologically sound production. This reflects our own high standards and quality assurance.

We understand that introducing a renewable energy system to either your home or business is an investment that lasts for many years. With our in-house electrical and plumbing division it is our promise to you the customer that your satisfaction and peace of mind throughout this period is our number one priority.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:

Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Reaction to George Osborne's Spending Review (FiTs & RHI)

George Osborne announced today continued support of the Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) and the planned start of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

The Government will maintain FiTs at their current level until the planned review date of 2013. These tariffs are essential in driving up renewable energy generation amongst consumers and businesses.

FiTs have a vital role to play in reaching the Government’s commitment to achieving at least a third of energy generation from renewable energy by 2020. Producing and using energy locally and making it a visible part of the local community means that people will value their energy more and use it less.

He also announced that the Government has chosen to support and incentivise renewable heat generation through the RHI scheme. Currently, only 1% of total heat demand comes from renewable sources which the Government clearly recognises needs to rise if the UK is to meet its renewable energy targets. The RHI scheme will significantly boost this volume.

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care.

"Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, MCS certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

The Clean Energy Cashback, or Feed-in Tariff, explained in video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvRf1yw659w&feature=player_embedded

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Is it time to generate your own domestic power?

Will the government's feed in tariff scheme which guarantees a rate of payment for renewable energy sold back to the grid tempt you to install your own solar panels or wind turbine? Here are some thoughts from members of the public:

It would appear that now is possibly the best time ever to consider installing some form of domestic microgeneration, be it solar photovoltaic panels for electricity, solar thermal energy for hot water or even wind turbines in some circumstances.

Economically speaking? Yes. There has never been a better time, and there will probably never be a better time in the next couple of decades, to make a profit from domestic micro-renewables in the UK.

We believe microgeneration has the potential to deliver significant amounts of energy, helping increase the UK's energy security, reduce its carbon emissions and, importantly, to influence consumer behaviour surrounding energy use. We've found that if you are generating your own power you tend to be far more careful about how you use it.

So far the uptake of microgeneration technology has been low in the UK compared with, say, Germany. Our research shows that this is due to several barriers: economics, planning, access to good information and consumer confidence. The introduction of feed in tariffs 'FiTs' certainly make the economics of microgeneration far more attractive, particularly with interest rates currently so low in the UK.

However we'd always recommend that before you invest in microgeneration technology you first address the energy efficiency of your property. It's also important to make sure you choose the right technology for it to be effective - there's no point installing a wind turbine unless you live somewhere windy (which rules out most urban locations) and the best results for solar pv are south-facing roofs.

Micro-generation isn't silver bullet to fight climate change, but it is a step in the right direction. More importantly, it is about taking responsibility for your own actions.

It is all to easy to flick a switch, and power arrives. If you generate your own, it is amazing how frugal you can be in your energy use. Even if it is renewable.

However, I work on a more important principle. The Government admits that power cuts are coming, and fuel prices are set to rocket. Given the winter we have just had, I think it could actually be about having a modicum of heat whilst the rest of the country shivers.

Currently around 100,000 people in the UK generate their own power - around 90% through solar thermal. If the government's target of 750,000 is to be reached, however, we think it'll take more than feed-in tariff, they'll also need to look at removing some of the other obstacles, especially planning.

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Ofgem badge launched to help consumers identify green electricity tariffs.

Because coal-fired power stations are so obviously bad for the environment and electricity so profligately used, governments have been quick to hand out environmentally friendly regulations to its generators and suppliers.

An integrated power company in the UK must now, by law,
a) increasingly source its power from renewable energy
b) undertake a certain level of activity to improve energy efficiency in households,
c) pay a fixed reward to consumers producing their own renewable electricity (so-called 'feed-in' tariffs) and d) ensure their total emissions stay within a fixed cap (or buy in emissions reductions from elsewhere to compensate).

Soon they will also be required to collect a levy to be spent on capturing and storing carbon underground. It may not be long before they are also obliged to go nuclear.

All this regulation is absolutely essential for driving investment in climate solutions but it makes the act of choosing an electricity tariff considered 'greener' than average almost impossible. The good news is that by the time electricity reaches us it's already got all the legal green obligations priced into it. So we are all doing our bit via our bills already. But if you don't think the government's obligations are going fast or far enough and want to exercise your consumer power to go further, it quickly gets complicated trying to work out if that thing you want done is really additional or just meeting a legal requirement.

Ofgem's new trademarked label for green electricity tariffs is a welcome step forward. Help is at hand for the consumer seeking to navigate this carbon policy jungle.

A new panel of auditors has taken Ofgem's guidelines, issued last year, and scrutinised proposed green tariffs wishing to bear the new trademark – those that have passed will be announced today. The crucial test: is this product doing something that wasn't required of the electricity company already? Broadly, three things qualify – investing in (but not owning) community renewables projects too small to be part of the renewables obligation (point a. above), paying for energy efficiency projects that do not qualify for the existing requirement, and buying and cancelling emissions permits that would be otherwise used to allow pollution to carry on.

Of these, by far the easiest to audit and most clear in terms of doing something new, is the last: permit cancellation. The Environmental Audit Committee report, issued yesterday, clearly recommended that caps on emissions, in the UK and Europe, be significantly tightened. This must ultimately be achieved by changes to the policy at EU level but it can also be helped along by action by member states and by consumers.

Fewer permits in circulation mean less pollution. So tariffs that cancel them are good. More investment in renewable power and electrical energy efficiency unfortunately cannot be guaranteed to do the same unless some of the fixed supply of pollution permits are also cancelled. If they are not, they will be sold to someone else who will use them to pollute.

This fact has long been ignored in Europe though it has been the subject of intense debate in Australia, where the government is trying to introduce caps on emissions, and has already been addressed in the existing US regional cap and trade scheme. This has to change.

The Ofgem guidelines go a long way towards untangling the many overlapping climate policies that now exist. They are not perfect and there is still a long way to go to increase awareness and make the distinction clear between cancelling pollution permits and the much-criticised use of 'carbon offsetting', which is not the same thing.

If this can be achieved and more policies and products be aligned so that we get the number of permits in circulation down, then this new scheme will be an efficient way to harness green consumer power.

Reference: Bryony Worthington; director of Sandbag.org.uk campaigner for tighter caps on pollution.

URBAN ENERGY:
Switching to energy suppliers that have the Ofgem badge is a great start, but why not produce your own electricity & hot water by installing solar photovoltaic (pv) and solar thermal panels? Become a microgenerator, and get paid by the government to do it!
 
URBAN ENERGY THERMAL:
Solar panels are typically located on the roof of your house or commercial property. These panels are able to convert everyday sunlight into heat energy stored within a cylinder, where it can be used to provide hot water for your home or business.

URBAN ENERGY SOLAR ELECTRICAL POWER:
Photovoltaic (PV) panels can be installed ‘on’ or ‘within’ the roof of your commercial property or home and are designed to convert day light into usable solar electricity. The solar electricity generated will be able to power any electrical device within the building without compromising quality of delivery. Their Photovoltaic panels have been designed to work within a grid system to permit the sale of redundant electricity to power suppliers, eradicating the need for unnecessary and costly battery systems found on other types of installations. Please visit our website for more information: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Greening Britain's Energy Supply

A fortnight ago Ed Miliband, the Climate Secretary, confirmed generous payments for home solar panel and wind turbine systems.

This scheme could transform Britain's poor record on renewable power. At present only 5 per cent of UK power comes from renewable sources, while 2 per cent of energy customers are on "green" tariffs. So will this initiative lead to low-carbon power for the people – and what's in it for you?

First, don't bother generating your own electricity or buying a "green" tariff until you have stopped energy leaking from your home; it's like pumping fuel into a car without fixing a hole in the petrol tank. Put plastic strips round draughty windows and reflective paper behind radiators, lag lofts to 27centimetres and fit eco-lightbulbs in every socket.

From April, a "Feed in Tariff" will guarantee payments to homes with solar panels and other micro-generation. A "well-sited" 2.5kWh PV solar scheme, the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) says, should earn £900 a year and £140 in energy savings. And the financial case for going solar may improve if, as expected, banks offer renewable power loans later this year.

Reference: The Independent

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Is solar power a bright investment?

If you install a typical £12,500 photovoltaic (PV) system on your roof, the new feed in tariff should give you a return of at least £25,000. So what's the catch? There isn't one!

If the government offered to pay you £1,000 a year for the next 25 years, in return for an up-front investment of £12,500, you'd snap it up in a second. Well, that's pretty much the deal on offer this week after the government finally revealed what it will pay those who install electricity generating solar panels – in and around their homes – through the new "Feed-in Tariffs" (FITs).

After years of campaigning by environmental groups – helped in small part by this newspaper – the government has finally agreed to reward households and businesses installing electricity-generating measures with enough of a return to make it a serious financial, as well as an environmental, investment. If you've got the money and, crucially, a sunny, south-facing roof, you can earn a 7%-10% tax-free return, an income that will rise in line with inflation. At the same time, you get to do more than your fair share in reducing the UK's carbon­ emissions.

In the week that the energy regulator,­ Ofgem, warned the nation to expect 20% electricity price hikes by 2020, and warned future supplies were in jeopardy, investors in solar panels will have the added benefit of being a net provider of electricity, and largely insulated from future price hikes that could see household bills top £2,000 a year by 2020.

Announcing the new tariffs' introduction this week, the energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the guaranteed income would be a big incentive for householders "to make the move to low carbon­ living".

"The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past."

Although Milliband announced a number of tariffs – including what the government will pay those installing wind turbines – the one that will appeal most to the average UK householder will be for installing photovoltaic (PV) solar panels – at a typical cost of £12,500.

From 1 April, households with approved­ schemes will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use all of it themselves.

The level of payment depends on the technology and whether it is being fitted to an existing­ home, or installed as part of newbuild. Importantly, future payments are guaranteed for the next 25 years and have been, unexpectedly, linked to inflation.

Anyone fitting a typical £12,500, 2.5kW PV system to their existing home will initially be paid 41.3p per kilowatt hour (kWh) generated. Enough, according to Miliband, to reward them with up to £900 in the first year on top of a £140-a-year saving on their bills.

The measure, which is inevitably quite complicated, is designed to reward those who reduce their own electricity consumption by installing low-energy lighting and A-rated white goods, and to ultimately export excess electricity generated back to the grid.

Households get an extra 3p for each kWh they export on top of the 41.3p they get paid for all units generated. Those building PV roof panels into a new-build home get a slightly lower tariff (36.1p per kWh). The fact that the payments are not taxed make it a particularly rewarding investment for higher-rate taxpayers – those earning more than just over £43,000.

The feed-in rates change depending on which year you install the technology. They will also apply to installations commissioned since July 2009 when the policy was announced. Early adopters, who have installed grant-assisted PV and registered­ for the ROC scheme, will also receive payments, but at just 9p/kWh. The payments will physically come from your existing electricity supplier, but will be overseen by the regulator Ofgem.

Reference: The Guardian

URBAN ENERGY

Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Homeowners with flat roofs may well find they can install a system, as will those with conventional roofs that face a few degrees either side of south, east or west. Panels perform best in unshaded sites angled towards the sun at a pitch of 30-40 degrees.

Prior to this week's announcement, grants of up to £2,500 had been available to those installing PV panels under the terms of the government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme. There are still grants available for other green technologies. FITs now provide the entire financial incentive for PV installers.

These new tariffs will allow people to turn their homes into mini-power stations. For householders who have a south-facing roof, PV panels are really worth looking at. Not only are they a sound financial investment, they will also allow you to do your part in tackling climate change.

Our homes are responsible for over a fifth of UK emissions, but by fitting renewable electricity systems and wind turbines, we can be part of a greener, safer future.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:

Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

Energy bills set to reach £2,000 a year!

Energy bills will skyrocket to unaffordable levels by 2015 unless the Government acts now, says a new report.

The Government may soon be completely in charge of the energy market in the UK, with far reaching changes needed to prevent energy bills skyrocketing to £2,000 a year, energy watchdog Ofgem has warned.

The regulator has concluded its Project Discovery report, with some shocking findings. Chief among them is the suggestion that unless the infrastructure behind the energy market is completely revamped, we will face energy costs spiralling out of control.

For many of us, gas and electricity will be simply unaffordable - and that could mean the lights going out across the country.

Nab a Feed-in Tariff:

This week, the Government finally unveiled its plans for feed-in tariffs (FiTs), and they should definitely be on your radar if you want to keep your energy expenditure as low as possible, over the long-term.

Basically, homeowners will be paid for generating their own power, through measures like rooftop windmills and solar panels.

And doing so could prove pretty lucrative - according to the Department for Energy and Climate Change, fitting a typical 2.5kW well sited solar photovoltaic (PV) installation could see the homeowner handed up to £900, as well as savings on their electricity bill.

In fact, any surplus energy created can then be sold on to the National Grid, earning you even more cash!

Reference: lovemoney.com

Urban Energy:

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings.

We provide systems eligible for grants of between 50% up to 100% through arrangements in place with our partners.

0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

For further information about Urban Energy products and services:

Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

FiT SCHEME ANNOUNCED TODAY!

FiTs have at last been announced for the UK. Coming in April 2010, this at last brings us in line with Germany, Spain and other European Countries. Systems will pay for themselves approx 4 times faster than at present.

- 36.5p/kWh for small solar photovoltaic systems up to 4kW and 28p/kWh for systems up to 10kW.

Customers who have an installation between now and April 2010 will benefit from the current Low Carbon Grant of £2,500 and next April will get the Feed in Tariff.

Urban Energy:

Urban Energy can provide both public and private sector organisations with both solar thermal and photovoltaic systems eligible for grants of between 50% up to 100% through arrangements in place with our partners.

For further information on Urban Energy products and services please call us on 0800 232 1624, email us on info@urbanenergy.org.uk, or visit our website at http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/

What is a Feed in Tariff (FiT)?

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT GETTING FiTs IN THE NEW YEAR?:

The UK Government is to support a new era of small-scale renewable electricity with the announcement on Monday 01.02.2010 of the final structure of Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) for small-scale generators.

FiTs are a per-unit support payment (p/kWh) for electricity generation and are already widely in operation in other EU Member States to support renewables.

The Government claims the introduction of FiTs on April 1 2010 will signify a major departure from how small low-carbon generators in the UK are currently rewarded.

The new FiT scheme, to be unveiled on Monday morning by Energy Minister Ed Miliband is designed to “provide the right level of simplicity” to encourage non-energy professionals to invest in small-scale generation.

It will provide non-taxable, cash-linked incentives to encourage those generators to consume the electricity they generate and become more energy efficient while they do so.

The scheme will operate on two levels and allows fixed payment from the electricity supplier for every kilowatt hour (kWh) generated, known as the “generation tariff”.

Another payment will be made additional to the generation tariff for every kWh exported to the wider energy market, to be called the “export tariff”.

The renewable technologies that will qualify for FITs payments are anaerobic digestion, biomass, hydro, Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and wind.

Only small-scale generators with a capacity of up to 5 megawatt can be considered for inclusion and both the installer and the equipment must be accredited by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

According to the proposals, generators will be guaranteed a market for their exports at a long-term guaranteed price. The generator may choose whether to sell exported electricity to the supplier at this guaranteed export tariff, or negotiate a price for exported electricity in the open market.

In addition, generators will benefit because they will have the opportunity to use that electricity on-site to offset some or all of the electricity they would otherwise have had to buy.

He will also reveal details of a renewable heat scheme (RHI), which will be launched following a similar FiT-style consultation next year. Reference 'Click Green' 31.01.2010

URBAN ENERGY:

“To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.

Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Their expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.

Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.

URBAN ENERGY SOLAR HEATING:

Solar panels are typically located on the roof of your house or commercial property. These panels are able to convert everyday sunlight into heat energy stored within a cylinder, where it can be used to provide hot water for your home or business.

URBAN ENERGY SOLAR ELECTRICAL POWER:

Photovoltaic (PV) panels can be installed ‘on’ or ‘within’ the roof of your commercial property or home and are designed to convert day light into useable solar electricity. The solar electricity generated will be able to power any electrical device within the building without compromising quality of delivery. Their Photovoltaic panels have been designed to work within a grid system to permit the sale of redundant electricity to power suppliers, eradicating the need for unnecessary and costly battery systems found on other types of installations.

Please visit our website for more information: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/