Early figures on the number of householders who have already taken advantage of the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) have exceeded expectations according to Ofgem, topping 1,000 installations in just a few months.
The incentive was launched on 9 April in England, Scotland and Wales and covers solar thermal and biomass installations as well as ground and air source heat pumps. It allows consumers to earn quarterly payments for seven years for the renewable heat their system produces and relies on a Green Deal Advice Report to assess the potential energy savings that could be generated.
Initial uptake has highlighted some interesting trends. Air source heat pumps seem to be proving the most popular technology under the new incentive, with well over a third of installations. When considered alongside ground source, almost half of householders appear to see savings in heat pump technologies. The incentive has also seen significant interest from those who have previously relied on oil fired heating.
Domestic RHI is also proving popular with installers. NAPIT has seen a significant increase in Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) applications after its launch as only installations carried out by registrants on this scheme are eligible for Domestic RHI payments.
If you are interested in learning more about the installation of heat pump technologies, the BPEC Heat Pump Systems Installer course, available from NAPIT Training, is a place to start. To find out more, visit: www.napittraining.co.uk/courses/heat-pump-training-course.aspx
If you’re keen to become an MCS certified Installer in order to make your installations eligible for the Domestic RHI, visit: www.napit.org.uk/microgeneration.asp To make the most of the increased demand for Green Deal Advice reports that domestic RHI has the potential to create, visit: www.napit.org.uk/greendeal.asp
