Renew On Line (UK) 31

Extracts from the May-June 2001 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

Future Energy - More Changes ahead

As noted in Renew 130, the Energy Saving Trust has decided (as of April 1st and the start of the Climate Change Levy) not continue to accredit non-domestic green power supply schemes. This followed a consultation exercise run by EST on the future of its Future Energy accreditation scheme. Around 300 companies and other organisations have signed up to these schemes- in part hoping no doubt that they would therefore be eligible for exemption from the Climate Change levy. However it’s not clear that this is so- and EST will in any case no longer provide accreditation since that will be done by Customs and Excise. But EST is happy to support domestic eco- fund schemes, which they say so far have attracted around £150,000 in donations.

Some supply companies are also still keen to try to keep the domestic supply schemes going- that’s what most consumers have signed up for after all. But then, can the output from these schemes, and also from donation schemes, be used by suppliers to meet the Renewable Obligation (RO)? Domestic contributors might object to helping companies to meet their obligations. But where else would the power go? And if power from fund supported schemes couldn’t be used for the RO, wouldn’t that undermine the idea of net metering - presumably suppliers would only want to buy this power if they can use it for the RO. It’s all a bit of a mess...

EST also floated the idea of schemes with less of than 100% renewables. N.Ireland Electricity already offers percentage deals on green power, but that’s not the same thing as offering a mixed green and brown product. See our Feature for more

* Meanwhile the pioneering Renewable Energy Company and Thames Water, who joined forces to set up the very succesful Ecotricity scheme, are in dispute. Thames provide sewage gas for Ecotricty, but want to switch from REC to London Electricity for their own power, and there are some outstanding bills to pay.

Stop/ Go on Green Power

Nine UK government departments already purchase a proportion of their electricity from renewable sources, including the DTI, with a further eight or so planning to do likewise. And, with the Climate Change Levy now in force, a new circular from the DETR has encouraged more to follow their lead- so as to get exemption from the Levy. However it notes that, since there is currently only a limited amount of green electricity available ‘it is therefore not viable for all Government sites to aim for 100% green in the foreseeable future, as this would result in demand outstripping supply and possibly force up prices’. Instead it suggests that departments could ‘include a target (say) to procure 10% of their supply of electricity from renewable resources or to nominate a flagship site or sites which could be 100% green by a specific date- possibly in line with the national target to achieve 10% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010’. It adds that they ‘might also consider generating their own green electricity using for example CHP, wind power and Photovoltaic cladding where circumstances permit and it is cost effective to do so’.