The tariff changes were laid before Parliament in February as part of number of proposed amendments to the domestic and non-domestic RHI schemes, which ministers hope will boost the uptake of renewable heat installations in the UK. The revised RHI rules came into force May 22.
Among the changes to the RHI schemes is an uplift to the tariffs for biogas and biomethane, changes to the eligible uses of renewably generated heat, plus new rules on shared ground loops and mandatory electricity metering.
However, the key change is the introduction of tariff guarantees. Under the proposed amends, project managers will be able to apply to Ofgem at the planning stage of their project to secure a guaranteed tariff, which will strengthen the business case for the use of a renewable heat source from the outset and provide long-term security for investors.
As a leading supplier for district heating and other renewable heat installations, Rehau hopes the suggested changes to the regulations will give specifiers the confidence to go ahead with projects that had been put on the backburner because of previous uncertainty about RHI tariffs.
Steve Richmond, head of marketing and technical for the Business Solutions division at Rehau, said: “We welcome the proposed changes to the RHI schemes and hope they will become the catalyst for an uplift in renewable heat installations in the UK. We are particularly excited about the changes to the biogas tariffs, some of which have been doubled from the previous tariff, as this is an area where we have a great amount of experience from our German operations and where the UK has been slow to adopt.
“We have spoken to customers who think the tariff changes will make their biogas – or anaerobic digestion – plant projects viable, which is great news for them and for the environment.”
Biogas is an ideal renewable heat solution for farm-based projects, as the gas is produced by the recycling of organic waste or treating energy crops in an anaerobic digestion plant. When biogas heat networks are fitted using Rehau Rauthermex and Rauvitherm, the polymer pipework makes installation quick and easy, particularly in soft dig areas.
For further information about the proposed changes to the RHI schemes, visit www.ofgem.gov.uk.