Renewable Energy Installer December/January 2014 | Page 35

Knowledge: The year ahead
Fortune
telling
Industry leaders deliver the prognosis
for the UK renewables sector over the
next 12 months
redictably, most of the hype
for the next year surrounds the
introduction of the domestic RHI
due in spring. For the first time,
homeowners will receive a financial incentive
for the renewable heat they produce, greatly
stimulating the market. Although deliberately
designed not to deliver the same returns as
the Feed-in Tariff, thus sparking an identical
and unsustainable boom in demand, the
industry is nevertheless gearing up for the
fuse to be lit on increased consumer interest
in heat pumps, biomass and solar thermal.
Claire Campbell, product marketing
manager at Dimplex Renewables, explains:
P
Top tip: According to Clare Campbell of Dimplex
Renewables, 2014 will be the year of the air
source heat pump due to the attractiveness of its
tariff level under the domestic RHI
“Obviously all eyes will be on the RHI and
it will be fascinating to see the initial uplift
once the scheme finally comes into force.
I’m confident it will stimulate the market for
domestic renewables solutions and that’s
good news for manufacturers, installers and
homeowners alike.
“I also firmly believe we will see a marked
increase in the take-up of heat pumps next
year. Tariffs look good across all technologies
under RHI and with support from the scheme,
more efficient products, lower payback
periods and better knowledge amongst
installers, 2014 could be the year that air
source heat pumps really take off as a viable
source of domestic heating.”
Peter Verkempynck, md of Daikin UK,
is similarly excited about the impending
launch of the domestic RHI having seen
its introduction delayed a number of times
since its conception in 2010. He states: “As
we approach the end of 2013, a year which
has seen the renewables industry kept on
tenterhooks as the government delayed the
domestic RHI scheme, we are now looking at
a new year which will be vital for the success
of renewable heating technology. With the
non-domestic and domestic RHI both in effect
in 2014, the RHPP still helping to subsidise
the cost of installations and the Green Deal
making slow but steady progress, now is the
time for the government to start delivering on
its promises.”
In addition to heat pumps, both Euroheat
and HETAS predict a significant increase in
demand for biomass under the RHI.
Bruce Allen, chief executive of HETAS,
says: “In 2014 we anticipate that the domestic
RHI will really stimulate the growth of the
biomass heating sector. HETAS has been
working together with OFGEM and the
government helping to ensure an effective
and workable scheme for consumers. We’re
already seeing much more interest in biomass
training and MCS registration, and expect this
to increase before the anticipated launch of
the domestic RHI in the spring of 2014.”
Simon Holden, Euroheat’s co-founder,
feels financial returns under the RHI will be
particularly attractive for larger domestic
installations of above 20kW. In a cautionary
word, he also stresses that the success of the
scheme and the reputation of the industry will
rely on the quality of installations.
“2013 was a good year for commercial-
scale biomass thanks to the RHI and I hope
that its domestic incarnation in 2014 does the
same for smaller boilers. The tariff levels that
have been set are encouraging and sensibly
draw the right kinds of properties to the right
kinds of technology – under the RHI biomass
stacks up best from 20kW – 45kW; in the main,
anything under this figure is probably better
suited to an alternative technology.
“What’s key is that installers and
consumers understand that biomass heating
takes careful consideration, depending on
the customer. Miss-specifying biomass is
the worst thing that can happen – a few
unsatisfied customers and many people will
write it off. The way biomass is presented
to consumers is also key. Thanks to the RHI,
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