Rural Energy’s managing director Paul Clark has been elected to the Wood Heat Association’s (WHA) first board of directors.

He was appointed to the position following an online election, during which members of the REA’s biomass heat group and WHA were invited to read his manifesto and vote. In his new role, Paul will represent the interests of boiler manufacturers and distributors, ensuring that this section of the industry has a clear voice within the association.

Paul said: “Rural Energy has been in the biomass industry for more than 12 years, making us one of the longest established suppliers in the UK, so I feel that we have a lot of valuable insight and experience that we can bring to the WHA. It’s an exciting time for biomass but it’s essential that we pull together as an industry to achieve the excellent standards of service and high quality installations expected from the sector, as well as providing vital training and support to wood heating professionals.”

Guided by the democratically elected board, the WHA will look to tackle the key issues faced by the industry today. Top of the agenda is continued political lobbying to press for an extension to the Renewable Heat Incentive, which is currently scheduled to end in 2016.

Installer accreditation will be another priority aspect of the WHA’s activity moving forwards, as the association seeks to raise skill levels throughout the industry, as well as campaigning for a formal accreditation scheme to guarantee quality.

Julian Morgan-Jones, chairman of the WHA, commented: “The future for wood heating looks bright but there’s still a great deal of work to be done to raise awareness of the industry as a whole and to communicate the benefits of biomass energy to businesses and private residents.  We’re extremely pleased to welcome Paul to the new board of directors and look forward to the insights he can offer, thanks to his long industry experience.”