REI - the leading magazine for the renewables sector since 2008
Editorial panel members
Stand and deliver
I
f 2013 ended under a bit of a cloud, the next year looks on track to be
more favourable as further opportunities emerge to deliver exceptional
growth, not least via the domestic RHI.
I must concede, however, that for those of us a bit longer in the
tooth, this message is in real danger of becoming repetitive as we all grow weary of being
told the worst is behind us. But for readers trying to plot a course for their business in 2014,
there are sound reasons to be optimistic.
For one, we can draw comfort that David Cameron’s £50 giveaway on energy bills, as
announced late last year at the expense of ECO, has done very little to dampen public anger
at the steady procession of above infl ation increases from the ‘Big Six’. Going green can be
the only full proof mitigation against our customers suffering any more of this misery.
This also seems an apt time to re-examine Green Deal as the troubled scheme celebrates
its fi rst birthday. Despite serious misgivings still harboured by the sector concerning its
attractiveness to consumers, the appetite is certainly there from homeowners looking to
make their properties more energy effi cient. Almost 130,000 assessments logged by the end
of December can attest to that so reform has to be the way forward rather than a simple
abandonment.
Finally, most of you will by now have half an eye on Ecobuild which kicks off on March
04 at London’s ExCel. Although it is unlikely to match the same vast scale seen in previous
years, it is still the largest sustainability event to grace these shores by far and should not be
passed up easily.
As offi cial media partners, don’t forget to visit the REI team on stand N2340!
Andy Buchan,
CEEC, Future
Renewable Energy Andy Boroughs,
Organic Energy
Garry Broadbent,
Lifestyle Heating Cathy Debenham,
YouGen
Ryan Gill,
Evoco Energy Liz McFarlane,
Zenex Solar
Steve Andrews,
Ecoskies Phyllis Boardman,
Green Deal
Consortia
Robert Burke,
HETAS Gideon Richards,
MCS
Contents
NEWS
04 News
Bahco competition winners
07 Analysis
10 Profi le
Q&A with Solarcentury’s Jeremy Leggett
OPINION
13 REI’s regular MCS column
18 Reasons to be at Ecobuild, by Krannich
KNOWLEDGE
20 Solar PV
Voltec & Vikram Solar
25 Green Deal - One year on
Plumb Center, SBS and Green Deal
Consortia look ahead to the next 12 months
33 Wind
ICE Renewables on cuts to the Feed-in
Tariff
34 DECC exclusive interview
Patrick Allcorn answers REI’s questions
37 Biomass
Happy Energy weighs up the pros and
cons of ‘free’ biomass systems
52 Case studies
54 My working week
Neil Schofi eld, Worcester, Bosch
ISSN 2049-3525
Editor: Paul Stephen
Sales director: Jonathan Hibbert
Circulation/directory: Sandra Curties
Managing director: John McCaffrey
Published by: Ashley & Dumville Publishing Ltd,
Caledonian House, Tatton Street,
Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6AG
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