Home builders and renewables industry call for German-style reward tariff to encourage green installation and boost jobs Bodies representing the house building industry and the renewable energy sector today joined forces to support a proposed amendment to the Energy Bill that would see homeowners, business and a range of renewable energy schemes rewarded for the energy they produce. The Home Builders Federation and the Renewable Energy Association are calling for the German style ‘feed in tariff’ to be introduced as part of a range of measures as home builders work towards producing zero carbon homes by 2016. Under the scheme generators are paid a fixed price for every unit of green power that they export. Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of HBF said today: “The financial benefits to homeowners and businesses in this initiative are a clear incentive for them to invest in renewable energy technologies. As an industry we need to be looking at a range of measures as we work toward the goal of zero carbon homes. As part of a coordinated drive towards achieving this challenging goal we are looking to work with industry partners, energy suppliers, manufactures and Government and will continue to explore new ways to achieve our objective.” MP’s are voting on whether to include the clause in the Energy Bill this Wednesday (April 30). If successful, its introduction would involve UK energy companies paying householders and businesses for energy generated from renewable energy sources including qualifying CHP, wind energy and photovoltaics. A similar feed in tariff was introduced in Germany in 2001 and in 2007 alone the scheme increased the country’s renewable capacity by more than the UK has managed in over a decade. The renewable sector in Germany now employs 250,000 people compared to 7000 in the UK. Philip Wolfe, Executive Director of the Renewable Energy Association said, "The government now has the chance to adopt powers that could deliver the biggest renewables breakthrough since the introduction of the Renewables Obligation. And to do so in the area of homes and buildings, which make a major contribution to climate change. REA therefore particularly welcomes calling with the principal home building federation for government to adopt this vital measure." - Ends - Notes to Editors: 1. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade federation for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for some 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk 2. The Renewable Energy Association is the UK’s largest renewables trade association with over 500 members in all areas of renewable energy. 3. The Government has set a target that all new homes in England must have no net carbon emissions by 2016. A zero carbon house is defined as a property with "zero net emissions of carbon dioxide from all energy use in the home". 4. The Energy Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 10 January 2008 and finished in House of Commons committee on 11 March. The Bill has been published on the Parliament: Energy Bill 2007-8 webpage, where you can follow its progress through Parliament and find associated documentation. It will implement the legislative aspects of the 2007 Energy White Paper: meeting the energy challenge. The Energy Bill will update the legislative framework by putting in place new legislation to; reflect the availability of new technologies such as CCS and emerging renewable technologies; Correspond with the changing requirements for security of supply infrastructure (such as offshore gas storage);Ensure adequate protections for the environment and the tax payer as the energy market changes 5. The Clause was put forward by MP’s Alan Simpson, Alan Duncan, Michael Meacher, John Grogan, Colin Challen and Martin Horwood. It was developed on a cross-party basis with input from Friends of the Earth and the renewables industry. EDM 890- on Feed in Tariffs has over 276 MP signatures. 6. The Clause has widespread support from a rage of organisations including; Institution of Civil Engineers; Institute of Mechanical Engineers; Federation of Master Builders; National Farmers Union; WWF; RSPB; TUC; UNISON; PCS; Greenpeace; Friends of the Earth; Country Landowners Association; UK Green Building Council; Energywatch; Co-op; Sharp UK; Solarcentury; Renewable Energy Association; National Energy Action; Federation of Small Businesses; Solar Trade Association; Ground Source Heat Pump Association; Schott UK and the Energy Savings Trust. For media enquiries contact Steve Turner on 07919 307 760 or steve.turner@hbf.co.uk Or Jemma Robinson at the REA 020 7747 1834 jrobinson@r-e-a.net
