The government has been warned that its failure to pass legislation to promote domestic power systems is creating a crisis of confidence among suppliers
At a reception for the Micropower Council on Monday, Eric Salomon, an energy director at EDF, told Greg Barker (below), the minister for climate change, of 鈥渁 rapidly approaching crisis of confidence in the industry鈥� over the government鈥檚 commitment to microgeneration.
Dave Sowden, head of the council, a household renewables lobby group, accused the government of stalling on the introduction of the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI). The scheme would pay householders who installed solar heat pumps in their homes.
Sowden said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had enough. Our confidence is being tested to the limit.鈥�
Concern was also voiced over whether the government would introduce permitted development rights for small domestic wind turbines and heat pumps, which would allow homeowners to install renewable energy sources without planning permission.
Chris Roberts, design manager at heat pump installation firm Mark Group, said any further delay would probably cause widespread job losses: 鈥淲ithout the legislation, the technology won鈥檛 grow fast enough or soon enough. It鈥檚 highly likely that there will be redundancies.鈥�
Barker said he would introduce secondary legislation for permitted development rights to parliament shortly before the summer recess.
鈥淭he small delay is just a logistical consequence of the change of government,鈥� he said.
A spokesperson for the energy department said the government was looking at proposals for the RHI.
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