Great Britain

This house in the town of Wimborne Minster in South West England is heated by a glycol-free solar thermal installation. The new system is designed to channel solar-heated water directly to specially designed waterless radiators, bypassing the thermal storage tank.
Photo: Jayhawk International Ltd

As part of the preparations for the UK general election, Gordon Brown praised solar energy and recommended more people try to install such renewable technologies during a televised debate. But due to a critical report by the consumer organisation Which? the current consumer reputation is less positive.

The UK Government is currently seeking views on the introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme to start in April 2011. Responses to the consultation are invited by Monday 26th April 2010. Details can be accessed here.

The key proposed aspects of the RHI are as follows:

Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in Great Britain focuses on larger solar thermal systems. Since July 2009, this has meant an approval of 250 applications for them. It, however, has not been clear yet how many of these systems will actually be realized.
Source: BRE

Great Britain is a country with a fair number of governmental initiatives intended to save carbon emissions. Two major documents are the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) published in July 2009, which cover all industries and renewable technologies. There is no doubt about the country taking its responsibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions seriously, with RES 2020 targets calling for a reduction of 15 % in such emissions.

The new launched Boiler Scrappage Scheme should motivate home owners and tenants in England to replace their old boiler with a new A-rated boiler which can be combined with a solar thermal system. The applicant is allowed to apply for both the Low Carbon Buildings Programme for solar and the Boiler scrappage scheme.

This node was written be Chris Laughton, Founder and Managing Director of the Solar Design Company in Great Britain

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) Phase 1 started in Mid June 2006 with an overall funding of 30 million Pound Sterling (GBP). The number of applications exceeded all expectations so that the budget was increased by another 6 million GBP in April 2008.

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme's Phase 2 was extended in July 2009 for another one and a half years, up to 1 April 2011. The programme includes a grant scheme for charitable organisations, community groups and the public sector, which like to install microgeneration technologies.

Highly appreciated by British organisations, it has a waiting list for solar thermal applications because of the high popularity of the technology. Only 4 application grants for solar thermal installation have been paid out until now because BRE has received only 4 claims so far.