Renewable Heat Incentive - application help events

More support for community energy projects

BedZed, London, Peabody Trust.

The Buildings Research Establishment has just opened another round of the Community Sustainable Energy Programme.

The Community Sustainable Energy Programme will provide £8 million to community-based organisations for the installation of microgeneration technologies , such as solar panels or biomass boilers and energy efficiency measures including loft and cavity wall insulation.

It will also provide £1 million for project development grants that will help community organisations decide if they could benefit from a microgeneration and energy efficiency installation.

The programme aims to achieve the following outcomes:    

• Reduction in CO₂ emissions
• Increased community awareness of climate change and how changes to our behaviour can reduce it
• Increased skills base of local trades (for example, local builders and building-service subcontractors working on renewable energy projects for the first time)
• Reduction in energy bills
• Reduction in reliance on imported energy and increased independence from commercial energy suppliers
• Stronger partnerships within local communities with lasting social benefits
• Growth of local enterprise in new technologies

Due to the opening of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) applications for the current CSEP round will only be accepted for heat generating technologies and energy efficiency measures only.

Deadline for the receipt of completed applications will be 5pm Friday 29 February 2012.

For full details on how to apply please visit the BRE CSEP webpages.

Renewable Heat Incentive is open for business

DECC has now announced the launch of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme and Ofgem's systems are now open and available to accept applications.

We have had a initial look at the online application process and it appears to be relatively simple.  However, you will need all paperwork close at hand (in electronic format) to increase the chances of completing the process in one sitting.  You can of course save the application and return later if you need to source additional information.

A few points of interest:

• The person applying should be the authorised signatory for the organisation
• You will need details of a valid bank account and proof that the bank account provided is held in the name of the organisation/company (e.g. copy of a bank statement which shows the account name, address, sort code and account number with financial information blackened out)
• For 'simple' schemes Ofgem will respond within 20 working days
• For 'complex' schemes Ofgem will reply within 30 working days
• You will need to apply for preliminary accreditation if you installation date is greater than one month from the present (application) date AND your biomass boiler is over 200kWth (i.e. medium scale and above)
• You will need to attach (or post) a series of documents so it would be worthwhile ensuring these are all at hand before you start.
• You will need to be able to separate capital costs from non-direct costs (i.e. installer costs, planning costs and anything not attributable directly to the purchase or construction of the physical plant)

For further information, useful links and details on how to apply to the scheme please visit the RHI website: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/RHI.

For a summary of some of the documents and information which participants may be required to submit please refer to the following document “Summary of supporting information for RHI applicants”:

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/e-serve/RHI/Documents1/Summary%20of%20supporting%20information%20for%20RHI%20Applicants.pdf

If you have any queries please contact the Ofgem E-Serve RHI Team on 0845 200 2122. The helpline opening hours are 8:30am until 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:30am until 4:30pm on Fridays.

Alternatively, you can send an email to RHI.Enquiry@Ofgem.gov.uk.  It is recommended that complicated enquiries are sent via email.

Good luck!

Ofgem update on RHI Phase 1: Large scale biomass tariff reduced

SusCon boiler room, Dartford, Kent

Ofgem have released further information on the status of the RHI Phase 1 launch, delayed from last month.

DECC has announced that the Renewable Heat Incentive regulations have been laid before Parliament, with the aim of opening Phase 1 of the scheme to applicants by the end of November 2011 (subject to Parliamentary approval).

"We have now updated the Renewable Heat Incentive Regulations to reflect the required change to large scale biomass tariff by the European Commission.  The large scale biomass tariff has been revised from 2.7p per kWh to 1p per kWh."

Ofgem is ready to start accepting applications as soon as regulations come into force, although the exact date of this is dependant on parliamentary timetables.

For more information visit either DECC's website on the RHI www.decc.gov.uk/rhi or Ofgem's website on the RHI www.ofgem.gov.uk/rhi