Leading international manufacturer of domestic and commercial
heating systems welcomes incentive levels which match the industry’s
ability to develop, but questions “counterproductive” air source
heat pump uncertainty.
Viessmann Ltd, part of the Viessmann Group of Companies and one of
the leading international manufacturers of heating systems, welcomes
UK Government’s RHI proposal announcement (10/3/11). Viessmann’s
industry perspective is unique in that its product range encompasses
all fuel types and applications; from traditional oil and gas-fired
boilers to renewable solar thermal and photovoltaic systems,
combined heat and power modules (CHP), ground, air and water sourced
heat pumps and biomass boilers. The company has been manufacturing
renewable heating systems for almost 40 years and sells 500,000 m2
of solar collectors globally per year.
In relation to the impact on the domestic heating market, Peter
Frost, managing director of Viessmann Ltd, comments:
“The Government seems to have chosen a more careful and selected
route to introduce renewable technology into the domestic market. To
us, this makes sense as the renewables market is still very young
and is challenged by the need for accurate product and application
information, and the required installer training. The potential for
efficiency loss is much greater in a renewable heating system
installation than a traditional one. The technologies need to be
correctly specified by individual application to realistic
parameters and there is still a lot of learning to do by those
adopting and installing them.
“We are surprised to hear that the RHI starts later than expected in
October 2012, but bringing this in line with the Green Deal scheme
makes sense. Also, introducing a premium payment from July should
help to quell industry disappointment.
“It is still not clear what tariffs, by technology type, will be
introduced in 2012. Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) appear to have
been singled out and will be the biggest loser. The decision to
provide a one-off cash payment of £850 for an ASHP today, without
any tariff information for next year, could be counterproductive.
“ASHPs are as good as any other renewable technology when used
correctly and we worry that this uncertainty may lead customers to
move away from this technology.
“Viessmann believes that the most effective step for most UK
homeowners now is the installation of a weather-compensated gas
condensing boiler combined with a solar thermal system. This can
provide reductions of up to 35 percent in fuel bills if the system
is used for domestic hot water and central heating. The condensing
boiler is the best technology available to suit the UK’s present
needs and capacity as we adapt to using more renewable energy
sources, yet around 20 million homes are without it.”
In relation to the impact on the commercial heating market, Peter
Frost, managing director of Viessmann Ltd, continues:
“It is great news for the commercial sector that the RHI is starting
in July 2011, even though the feed-in tariff is less than originally
proposed. We support the tariff split for biomass boilers which
means that about two thirds of the total demand will enjoy a higher
tariff. As commercial applications are all metered, biomass energy
production can now be monitored so that it is used appropriately and
not wasted.
“Again, we are surprised that ASHPs are not going to be considered
until October 2012. The RHI’s co-efficient of performance (COP)
target level for ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) is set to greater
than 2.9. This contradicts the Microgeneration Certification
Scheme’s (MCS) requirement of 3.5 for heat pumps less than 45kW and
the minimum level of 4.0 for the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme
(an initiative to encourage businesses to invest in low carbon
energy saving equipment). We wonder why the RHI document quotes a
lower figure.
“In conclusion, the new RHI is a start and it is up to the industry
to make it work to its best so we can achieve our carbon reduction
goal by 2020. Viessmann is committed to playing a leading role in
the development of renewable technology internationally, and in
providing support to end-users and installers as market
understanding and the adoption of this technology grows.”
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