Government Promotes Low Carbon Buildings Programme

The Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks, is attended the BRE's headquarters in Watford this week, as part of a series of nationwide events to promote the Government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme of renewable technology grants for the public sector and charitable organisations.

Mr Wicks addressed an audience including representatives from organisations like schools, councils and hospitals about Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, a £50 million scheme which offers grants of 50% towards the costs of installing small scale renewable energy devices like solar panels or wind turbines.

The Minister is toured BRE's Innovation Park, looking at microgeneration technologies in use inside a zero carbon home. He also presented a certificate to Calorex, the company which has manufactured the first products accredited under the new Microgeneration Certification Scheme - two air source heat pumps.

Under phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, grants of up to £1 million per site are available to public sector buildings, including:

• Schools
• Hospitals
• Housing associations
• Local authorities and
• Some charitable bodies.

Malcolm Wicks said: "More and more schools are installing technologies like solar panels and wind turbines with the help of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. This helps to reduce fuel bills and carbon emissions as well as educating children about the devastating effects of climate change and why we need to do something about it.

"The Low Carbon Buildings Programme makes installing small scale energy generating devices easier financially, not just for schools but also charities and other public sector organisations like hospitals, community buildings and housing associations.

"There's £40 million available, and these organisations can claim 50% towards the cost of the technology. Today is one of a series of nationwide events to promote the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, so I'm hoping more organisations will take advantage of this opportunity to 'go green'."

This funding can be used for the supply and installation of any combination of the following microgeneration technologies:

• solar photovoltaics
• solar thermal hot water
• wind turbines
• ground source heat pumps
• automated wood pellet stoves
• wood fuelled boiler systems

The events explain the application process, the microgeneration technologies involved, and their installation, energy output and potential for reducing carbon emissions and energy bills. They also provide an opportunity for potential applicants to meet with suppliers and installers to discuss how the technologies supported could be incorporated into different circumstances and environments.