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Microgeneration Compulsory In Northern Ireland

Posted: 25/07/2006

Microgeneration systems are to become compulsory in all new houses in Northern Ireland from April 2008, the Secretary of State announced recently. Peter Hain - who disclosed that he had cut his own energy bill in half by installing panels on his home in Wales - said he was committed to "green energy".

Mr Hain announced the proposed change to building regulations in Northern Ireland as he launched an £8m renewable energy household programme. The grant aid, part of the Government's £59m renewable energy fund, will give up to 4,000 householders 50% of the cost of installing renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, in their homes.

Under proposed building regulation changes, the use of renewable energy in new builds will be mandatory from 2008. Other options under the Household Programme include small-scale wind turbines, biomass boilers and geothermal heat pumps. Five-hundred low-income families will get solar hot water systems installed in their homes, under a Department of Social Development initiative. Addtionally, the Housing Executive is to install solar water panels in 600 homes.

Mr Hain said the programme would "stimulate renewable energy at household level and effectively initiate a programme of micro-generation development for the future". In the public sector, the Housing Executive is to install solar water-heating panels in 600 of its 90,000 properties.

Mr Hain said: "Northern Ireland is leading the rest of the UK in renewable energy and the household programme is another important milestone. "I am fully committed to the use of renewable energy and know how effective it can be. In my home in Wales, I have installed PV panels on my roof and this has resulted in my energy bill being halved."

The Secretary of State announced the new initiative during a visit to Comber during which he inspected a house which has benefited from renewable energy measures. He said the aim was to reduce electricity, oil and gas usage by persuading householders to switch to renewable energy.

The Government's target is to generate 12% of electricity in Northern Ireland from indigenous renewable sources by 2012. But there is some way to go. In 2005/06 5.8% of consumption was from renewables with just 3% of that coming from indigenous sources. Indigenous wind power capacity in Northern Ireland now stands at 106 megawatts (MW) against a maximum demand for electricity of 1,700MW per day.

Meanwhile, a Government- backed experimental £8.5m tidal energy scheme, which was approved last December, is expected to be up and running in Strangford Lough this autumn.

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