REI – the leading magazine for the renewables sector since 2008
Editorial panel members
Economy drive
W
e find ourselves in the midst of a heavily politicised
period following last month’s Budget, and the spectre of
an impossibly-hard-to-predict General Election in just a
few weeks’ time.
‘Missed opportunity’ and ‘disappointing legacy’ were two choice phrases to emerge
from the green sector’s reaction to the coalition’s final Budget which spectacularly failed
to deliver anything of substance to the renewables industry.
A £1.3bn tax break for North Sea oil extraction and a freeze on fuel duty offer a
depressing insight into the priorities of a future Conservative-led government. Incentives
to squeeze rapidly-depleting oil and gas reserves from under the North Sea may have
some economic merit, but hardly provide the reassurance needed to those looking to
invest in the UK’s growing renewables portfolio.
Chancellor George Osborne’s relentless drive for further savings should not come at
the cost of the environment, and he has left himself wide open to critics who say he is out
of touch with climate change and our need to divest ourselves from fossil fuels.
News of negotiations beginning on the £1bn Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project
offered a singular high point to an otherwise underwhelming budget.
But, before we go running to the polls, a comprehensive preview of the General
Election and run down of the environmental elements of the main parties’ electoral
manifestos can be located on p6-7 of this issue.
Andy Buchan,
CEEC, Future
Renewable Energy Dave Sowden, SEA
Garry Broadbent,
Lifestyle Heating John Kellett,
Mitsubishi Electric
Paul Joyner,
SBS Liz McFarlane,
Zenex Solar
Tim Pollard,
Plumb Center Phyllis Boardman,
Green Deal
Consortia
Robert Burke,
HETAS Gideon Richards,
MCS
Contents
NEWS KNOWLEDGE
04 News
Nominations open for Heating &
Renewables Awards
06 Analysis
General Election preview from Ecuity
08 Profile
Plumb Center report on another year at
Ecobuild 20 RHI update
Navitron appraise the domestic scheme’s
first 12 months of operation
23 ISH show review
Reaction from key exhibitors
25 Heat pumps
28 Customer service
Best practice from NAPIT
32 District heating
34 Biomass
38 Case studies
38 My working week
Jodi Huggett, 4eco
OPINION
10 REI’s regular MCS column
12 Q&A BPVA
ISSN 2049-3525
Editor: Paul Stephen
Sales director: Jonathan Hibbert
Circulation manager: Sandra Curties
Managing director: Scott Masheder
Published by: Ashley & Dumville Publishing Ltd,
Caledonian House, Tatton Street,
Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6AG
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Tel: 01565 626760
Email: [email protected]
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