Renewable Energy

Renewable energy can be used to tackle climate change as it is derived from inexhaustible sources such as the sun, wind, sea, or replaceable sources such as crops and waste products.

Renewable energy technologies in the UK include:

  • Solar water heating;
  • solar photovoltaic (solar PV);
  • small scale wind;
  • small scale hydro;
  • ground source heat pumps;
  • biomass

Further information on these technologies and how they are used in the home can be found on the Directgov Website and the Energy Saving Trust website.

In addition, our website contains further information about domestic wind turbines.

Should you wish to adapt your home to incorporate renewable energy technologies such as those mentioned above, then it would be wise to contact your Local Authority Planning and Building Control Teams to check on their requirements. For instance, with wind turbines there are a number of situations where Planning Permission would be required, particularly if they extend above the highest part of the roof of the property, or if they are to be attached to a flat. It is the opinion of our Building Control Section that Building Regulation applications would be required for the installation of both solar panels and wind turbines, and for further information on this please contact them on 08452-304040 or 01462611222, or at Customer.Services@midbeds.gov.uk . Alternatively, you may wish to visit the Building Control section of our website.

Since April 2008 Planning Regulations relating to some microgeneration installations have been relaxed. This means that PV, Solar Thermal, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Micro-CHP, and Bio-mass technologies will not require planning permission.

Grants

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme provides grants for microgeneration technologies including wind, hydro, solar photovoltaics, bio energy, heat pumps, solar thermal as well as micro Combined Heat & Power (CHP), renewable CHP and fuel cells for householders, community organisations, schools, the public sector and businesses. For more information on this grant scheme please visit the Department of Trade and Industry Low Carbon Buildings Programme website.