MP's 'Windmill Bill' Paves the Way for Home-Made Power
Jul 07 - Evening News; Edinburgh (UK)
SOLAR panels and wind turbines on houses could be the norm in less than a decade if new measures to encourage home-produced energy are passed by politicians, it was claimed today.
He says people are keen to switch to "microgeneration" - using
windmills, solar panels and the like on houses to power heat and light - but are
turned off by red tape.
And Friends of the Earth Scotland says cutting through the rules and
regulations will tap into massive potential for grassroots alternative energy
production.
Mr Lazarowicz's Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill would set national
and local targets for microgeneration and simplify the planning regime for the
installation of home-based energy producing devices.
Mr Lazarowicz said: "The idea is to encourage domestic consumers and
small businesses to produce their own electricity to meet some or all of their
needs.
"And in some cases, they would also be able to supply electricity to the
national grid."
He said between six and ten million homes across the UK could be involved in
microgeneration.
"This is a major potential source of renewable or low carbon- emission
energy, which could make a significant contribution to the country's energy
needs," he continued.
"But there are a number of bureaucratic obstacles in the way. My Bill is
intended to clear these away and allow microgeneration to take off as a form of
energy production."
He said the development of microgeneration would bring benefits both to the
country as a whole by reducing emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and to the
households involved, who would see their own fuel bills fall.
"The indications are that people are interested in these forms of
energy, but it is not made as easy as it might be for them.
"And these things need a critical mass to make them take off in a
significant way."
Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said
microgeneration was going to have to play an ever-increasing role if people were
serious about tackling climate change.
"In the future, individuals or small groups of householders will be able
to make a contribution to meeting their own energy needs," he said.
"Imagine how great it would be if in the future Edinburgh households
could generate most, if not all, of the energy they consume."
And Dan Barlow, head of research for FoE Scotland, said a couple of solar
panels could generate up to 50 per cent of a household's energy needs and a
couple of wind turbines would probably be enough to supply all the electricity
used by a typical family.
"There are companies working on it - they have identified there is
considerable potential," he said.
"The technology is here. It just requires the barriers to be resolved
and some incentives to encourage people.
"We would love it to become the norm and there is no reason why that
should not happen."
He said it would cost very little for solar panels and wind turbines to be
included in new-build homes and grants could help pay for their installation in
existing houses.
"You could turn this round pretty quickly if there were greater
incentives. We could see a massive turnaround in less than a decade."
Mr Lazarowicz won fourth place in the annual ballot for private members'
Bills and is guaranteed parliamentary time for debate, probably in November. If
the Government gave his proposals tacit approval, there is a good chance they
could become law.
The facts
HOUSEHOLDERS can collect "DIY" energy in a number of ways,
including:
* Solar thermal panels - Solar panels fitted to the roof catch heat from the
sun to provide hot water for homes.
* Photovoltaics (PV) - Panels, often looking like grey rooftiles, use energy
from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting. PV requires
only daylight - not direct sunlight - to generate electricity.
* Wind turbines - Windmills about the size of a satellite dish, right, placed
on the roof use wind power to create electricity to power appliances and lights.
* Biomass heating - Using "biomass" wood pellets or wood chips in
stand-alone stoves or boilers connected to central heating or hot water systems.
The carbon dioxide released during the generation of energy from biomass is
balanced by that absorbed during the fuel's production, making it a carbon
neutral process.
* Geothermal heating - A pump in the garden takes heat from the ground and
transfers it through pipes or under-floor channels to provide heating.