NICEIC has welcomed the Government’s decision to retain the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) scheme and progress with the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) in 2011, following last week’s comprehensive spending review.
The announcement by Chancellor George Osborne to push ahead with both has been seen as a boost to the renewable energy sector, and allayed fears that they would be scrapped in an attempt to reduce costs. The RHI will represent over £850m of investment driving a more-than-tenfold increase of renewable heat over the coming decade, shifting renewable heat from a fringe industry firmly into the mainstream.
“This is a very encouraging sign for all those connected with the industry and the decision supports the coalition’s vow to be one of the greenest governments ever,” says NICEIC‘s Chief Operating Officer Emma McCarthy. “There is now a dedicated plan to put a low carbon economy at the heart of this Government’s plans and this can only be good news for those associated with the renewable energy industry.”
Microgeneration is set to play a prominent role in the energy mix of the UK and this pledge of support from the Government is seen as a great opportunity for those with the skills and knowledge to supply and install renewable products.
“We have seen a growing demand from consumers for items such as Solar PV and heat pumps and those at the cutting edge in the knowledge stakes will reap the rewards,” continues Emma. “MCS registered contractors with NICEIC will be a crucial part of the supply chain for domestic and commercial users of microgeneration installations.”
NICEIC is at the forefront in promoting microgeneration and has seen a growing number of installers register with its Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and enrol on its related training courses.
For more details about NICEIC’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme go to the niceic website