REI – the leading magazine for the renewables sector since 2008
Editorial panel members
How soon is now?
T
his month’s
choice of
editorial
heading should
please any eagle-eyed fans of The Smiths
out there, but was arrived at for a far less
frivolous reason.
The long wait for the domestic RHI is
thankfully now over, albeit for the benefi t of
those of us not yet expired having held our
collective breath for too long.
There was no offi cial fanfare and
somewhat fi ttingly for a scheme which can
claim to be a ‘global fi rst’, news of its birth
was spread in the fi rst instance via the
modish medium of Twitter.
Understandably, feelings have
been mixed from an industry bruised by
DECC’s handling of the Feed-in Tariff and
repeated last minute postponements to the
opening of the scheme. But the wonderful
opportunity we have been gifted should
be grasped with both hands to reach out
to consumers previously unswayed by the
standalone case for renewable heating.
For readers with questions about the
RHI or wishing to register customers for
payments, Ofgem has set up a dedicated
website and is also fi elding enquiries on
Twitter at @AskDomesticRHI.
DECC is also keen to engage
further with installers and has agreed
to fi eld policy-related questions from
REI readers which will be answered in
next month’s issue. Please email me at
[email protected] and I will
ensure they are brought to the relevant
individual’s attention. Alternatively,
members of the DECC team can be met
face-to-face at the RHI Roadshow which
is touring UK venues throughout May and
June (dates overleaf).
I’d also like to remind readers that
REI now proudly owns the Renewables
Roadshow. Coming to a venue near you in
autumn 2015, the shows will be preceded
by the Energy Effi ciency & Renewables
Awards this September, where we
currently await your nominations.
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
DECC unveils its Solar Strategy
06 Analysis
Industry responds to RHI launch
08 Profi le
Specfl ue & TEAM
OPINION
13 REI’s regular MCS column
16 Q&A Oxford PV
KNOWLEDGE
21 Rainwater harvesting
Safe installation tips from Kingspan
23 Solar PV
25 Solar thermal
SOLFEX on UFH combinations
27 Biomass
32 Heat pumps
Stiebel Eltron & Kilfrost
34 Data
37 Case studies
38 My working week
Tim Pollard, Plumb Center
18 RHI focus
ISSN 2049-3525
Editor: Paul Stephen
Sales director: Jonathan Hibbert
Circulation manager: Sandra Curties
General manager: Scott Masheder
Managing director: Nick Smith
Published by: Ashley & Dumville Publishing Ltd,
Caledonian House, Tatton Street,
Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6AG
Advertising
Tel: 01565 626760
Email: [email protected]
Editorial/press releases
Tel: 01565 653283
Email:[email protected]
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