Renewable Heating Incentive

Have you ever thought it would be great to be paid for doing nothing? Well if you have certain types of boiler that's almost exactly what you do writes Krysta Jackson

So, What Is The Renewable Heating Incentive?

Owners of solar panels and other microgeneration equipment will be familiar with the concept of Feed-In Tariffs – what you get paid for generating your electricity regardless of whether you use that electricity or export it.

If you have a heat generator that uses renewable energy you can apply for the Renewable Heat Incentive which then pays you an amount based on an estimate of the amount of heat that the source will generate.

Internationally this is a unique plan to encourage the use of renewable forms of heat generation in place of traditional oil and gas fired boilers. Unlike Feed-In Tariffs which are used in over 40 other countries only Britain offers you the chance to be paid for using less polluting forms of heat generation.

Who Is Eligible?

Pretty much anyone can apply for a Renewable Heat Incentive if they install heating equipment that uses renewables. Businesses and homeowners, community groups, farmers, schools, care homes and hospitals – even potentially whole communities who could then share the heat, and income, generated.

How Do I Get It?

First you need to install a renewable form of heat generation. Aboiler installation specialistwill be able to advise what type of heat generation is best suited to your property as there are several different types that qualify for the payments.

Then, an estimate is made of the amount of heat the system will generate. This will vary from property to property depending on the type of equipment installed and, in the case of solar systems, the availability of sunlight!

Finally, you sit back (in a nice warm bath perhaps) and enjoy being paid to do nothing!

What Types Of System Does It Cover?

Pretty much any system that uses renewable forms of energy to create heat will be covered by the Renewable Heating Incentive. The three most likely sources are biomass, solar and ground source.

A solar system works by placing a series of pipes on a south or nearly south facing roof where they can absorb heat energy from the sun's rays. In most systems the pipes are filled with refrigerant so that there are no issues with them freezing in winter and the heat is transferred to your water through a solar coil in the hot water tank.

A biomass boiler is the most traditional of the options. It uses a high tech fuel delivery system to burn wood pellets. As wood grows on, well, trees, it can be a simple way to add a renewable heat source to your property as it only requires replacing a boiler which can be done at the end of the boiler's natural lifecycle anyway.

A ground source heat pump utilises the Earth's own warmth by taking advantage of the fact that warm liquids rise and cool ones fall.

What About Electricity?

The Renewable Heat Incentive only covers replacements to the boiler in your heating and hot water system. Electricity generation needs to be done with respect to the National Grid and will continue to be funded through Feed-In Tariffs proportional to the amount of electricity generated.

How Can I Find Out More?

If you are interested in installing a renewable heat generation system eligible for the Renewable Heat Incentive your first step needs to be to contact a reputable company who can discuss your options with you and guide you through the whole process.

Visit: http://www.jchlondon.co.uk/renewable-energy/renewable-heating-incentive/