Government reforms aim to increase attractiveness of renewable energy technologies

News Article - 23 November 2009
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On-site renewables may soon become one of the most cost-effective methods for companies looking to reduce their energy output. Experts are predicting that government plans to exempt the installation of certain small-scale renewable energy technologies from planning permission will encourage businesses to invest.

The plans are an extension of the Government’s ‘permitted development rights’, which currently allow homeowners to install solar panels without planning permission. Once the reforms are implemented, businesses will be given significant leeway with regards to the energy-saving measures they can install without formal consent. Solar panels, ground and water source heat pumps, combined heat and power systems, biomass flues and wind turbines up to 15m high will all be included.

The developments will be welcomed by businesses that have in the past labelled ‘red tape’ as a major force preventing them from installing renewable energy technologies. Yet whilst industry commentators are hailing the changes as important in creating impetus for carbon reduction, they consider them unlikely to immediately increase demand for on-site renewables. Several barriers remain, such as the costs and time involved, which might keep business interests at bay.

But with the promise of more reforms in the next year, demand is expected to increase in the latter half of 2010. Feed-in tariffs – which obligate electricity utilities to buy renewable energy from the government at above-market prices – will be introduced, in addition to increased pressure on businesses to cut carbon emissions. As the demand for a greener economy gains momentum, the ‘permitted development rights’ given to on-site renewables will become increasingly attractive.

Businesses considering on-site renewable energy sources should bear in mind how they will track improvements following installation. Without detailed data on their most carbon-intensive business departments, strategic decisions on where to focus renewable energy resources will be difficult to make. This is why Access includes the functionality for reporting carbon emissions in its business and accounting software solutions as standard. As businesses start to pledge commitments to the green economy, this functionality will become beneficial to a company’s ability to remain profitable whilst their carbon reduction efforts gain traction.

In addition, many of the advanced features included in Access’ software for reporting carbon emissions are designed for consistent in-depth analysis of existing workflows, allowing a company to maximise its carbon reductions by focusing capabilities. Data can be broken down on a departmental or individual basis, allowing companies to prune carbon-intensive activities or focus extra resources into challenging the problem. Actual and budgeted information can be compared on a like-for-like basis allowing any spikes to be quickly identified.

That way if a business decides to install on-site renewables or commits to carbon reduction, they’ll have the infrastructure in place to gain maximum cost-effectiveness and return on investment.

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