In 2008, the Town and Country Planning Order was amended to grant permitted development rights to domestic properties for solar panels, ground source heat pumps and water source heat pumps, but not to wind turbines and air source heat pumps.

A new consultation was kicked off yesterday on Government proposals to introduce permitted development rights for small scale renewable energy and low carbon technologies for both householders and businesses. It is also looking for feedback on permitted development rights and advertisement consent for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Department head John Healey, said:

“The people who want to greenproof their homes should get a helping hand, not a stop sign. Our planning rules need to catch up with changing technologies and allow people to take the small measures that make big differences. Not only could this save up to hundreds of pounds in fuel bills, they will also help the environment.

“At the same time we need tough rules so that permitted development does not become a nuisance, so I am putting in place strong safeguards in relation to noise levels, size, location and the potential impact on an area.

“As a country, nearly half of our carbon emissions come from buildings. That’s more than roads, railways and airports combined. To stand a chance of tackling climate change, we need nothing less than a national crusade with everyone able to play their part to offset carbon emissions.”

Kelvin MacDonald, Policy Adviser at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), said:

“The RTPI supports the Government’s initiative to make it easier for householders and businesses to install renewable technologies. This is a positive step on the path towards making our energy supply more secure and less carbon-intensive and micro-renewables such as solar and heat pumps have an important role to play.

“It’s also important that the proposals take account of local circumstances and historic buildings. It will be important for planners to assess these proposals and provide their input to government to ensure the new measures are both workable and flexible enough to adapt to fast-changing renewable technologies.”

If successful the change in rules will mean that people would not need to get planning consent for a range of micro- scale technologies including:

- domestic wind turbines and air source heat pumps
- water source heat pumps
- solar panels
- flues for biomass systems and combined heat and power
- structures to house anaerobic digestion systems and biomass boilers
- structures to house hydro-turbines
- electrical vehicle charging infrastructure

The Department of Communities and Local Government say that securing renewable energy through small scale microgeneration and electric vehicles are two high national priorities and the technologies they require are evolving very fast. They believe that it is vital that they continue to enjoy widespread public support and confidence which means it is important to get their design and operation right.

The UK government has launched a consultation on the prices to be paid to people generating their own electricity from renewable energy. The new fixed rate tariffs, or ‘feed in tariffs’ as they are known in the renewable energy industry are aimed at domestic and micro -renewable energy generators and vary according to the renewable technology.

The Consultation on Renewable Electricity Financial Incentives proposes that tariffs will be paid for 20 years for new projects, except for solar PV which will be paid for 25 years.

The initial proposed generation feed in tariff levels for green electricity are set out below:

Anaerobic digestion – Electricity only – 9p/kWh – 0% annual degression
Anaerobic digestion- CHP – 11.5p/kWh – 0 % annual degression
Biomass – <50kW- 9p/kWh - 0% annual degression
Biomass - 50kW-5MW - 4.5p/kWh - 0% annual degression
Hydro - <10kW - 17p/kWh - 0% annual degression
Hydro - 10-100kW - 12p/kWh - 0% annual degression
Hydro - 1-5MW - 4.5p/kWh - 0% annual degression
PV - <4kW (new build) - 31p/kWh - 7% annual degression
PV - <4kW (retrofit) - 36.5p/kWh - 7% annual degression
PV - 4-10kW - 31p/kWh - 7% annual degression
PV - 10-100kW- 28p/kWh - 7% annual degression
PV- 100kW- 5MW - 26p/kWh - 7% annual degression
PV - Stand alone system - 26p/kWh - 7% annual degression
Wind - <1.5kW- 30.5p/kWh - 4% annual degression
Wind - 1.5- 15kW - 23p/kWh - 3% annual degression
Wind - 15-50kW - 20.5p/kWh - 3% annual degression
Wind - 50-250kW - 18p/kWh - 0% annual degression
Wind - 250- 500kW - 16p/kWh - 0% annual degression
Wind - 500kW-5MW - 4.5p/kWh - 0% annual degression
Existing microgenerators transferred from Renewables Obligation (RO) - 9p/kWh

Responses are due by 15th October 2009 and details for submission can be found in the ‘How to Respond’ section of the consultation document.

New investments were made throughout the globe, notably in developing countries. Wind energy technology was the front runner in 08 – attracting the biggest new worldwide investment of $52bn (£32bn). Solar energy was second favourite with $33.5bn (£21bn) investment. China experienced a $15.6bn (£10m) injection – mostly in wind energy and biomass electricity generation plant.

Anchim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme told The Guardian “There have been many milestones reached in recent years, but this report suggests renewable energy has now reached a tipping point where it is as important – if not more important – in the global energy mix than fossil fuels”

Following the announcement however, the UN sounded a note of caution. The figures for renewable energy investment this year started on a low with a 53% drop when compared against the first quarter of last year.

The research carried out by AEA found that although green house gas emissions from energy generated using biomass crops is generally less than from fossil fuels, this is not always the case. Burning straw for example can produce over 35% more than a combined cycle gas turbine power station.

The report says that transporting fuels over long distances can reduce emissions savings made by the same biomass fuel by between 15 and 50%. Changing land use from fallow land to biomass crop growing land can also have a negative effect.

The report urges best practice for biomass crop producers and users. Power stations should be designed to utilise the heat from the outset and more Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) should be offered for combined heat and power and heat only biomass plants.

Mandatory reporting on greenhouse gas emissions by generators should be required say the Environment Agency and a review of energy conversion efficiency in biomass heat and power generation should be carried out. The recommendation to carry out further research to understand which technologies will deliver the greatest emissions savings, suggest that the use of biomass will remain a hot topic over the next few years. Real examples of responsible fuel sourcing and emission saving power plants will be needed to persuade the world that it can contribute to a healthy and sustainable energy mix.

Biomass is important for renewable energy production in the United States where according to the USA Biomass Power Producers Alliance, generating power from biomass helps Americans avoid some 11 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions that burning the equivalent amount of fossil fuels would create each year. It also helps avoid annual emissions of some two million tons of methane per year.

In Denmark 6% of country’s total energy consumption is provided by biomass energy. This represents 75% of the country’s renewable energy production. Denmark produces large quantities of straw ( around 2.3 Mt/a) and animal wastes (3 Mt/a or 26 PJ), which are increasingly being used as renewable sources of energy.

In the UK, biomass contributes towards renewable energy generation -particularly in agricultural areas such as the East of England where materials such as straw and chicken litter are burnt in dedicated biomass power stations. In this region biomass accounted for roughly the same amount of installed renewable energy capacity as wind energy in 2008 at just over 100 MW.

Biogas is favoured amongst farmers in Germany which provides a feed in tariff to generators through the EEG environmental subsidy package.

Biomass is also an important energy source in developing countries where it is used for heat and power.

Although in many places wind energy is overtaking biomass in terms of installed renewable energy generation, it will continue to play an important role in reducing harmful emissions as long as the fuel source is transported over sensible distances.