Mark Kelly of Baxi Group speaks at PRASEG event

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Mark Kelly of Baxi Group speaks at PRASEG event to encourage the roll out of low and zero carbon heating technologies.

Leading parliamentarians, officials and industry representatives met on Wednesday 2 July to discuss how Government could do more to promote sustainable heat technologies such as solar thermal, heat pumps, biomass and combined heat and power (CHP).

Mark Kelly, chief executive of Baxi Group UK provided the industry's viewpoint at the roundtable event hosted by PRASEG, the Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group. Also on the panel were Graham Meeks of the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) and Hergen Haye from BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform).

Mark updated MPs on the policies that industry would like to see to encourage greater take up of micro-CHP.  These include a holistic financial incentives framework, better information for consumers and statutory targets for microgeneration.

Baxi already has a comprehensive range of low and zero carbon system solutions that includes Solarflo solar thermal domestic hot water systems, Geoflo ground source heat pumps, Baxi biomass and Baxi CHP for commercial applications, and Mark emphasised that any support mechanism must also include micro-CHP. 

Baxi's micro-CHP unit, Ecogen, is a ground breaking new technology that is seen as the natural successor to the condensing boiler.  Available in 2009, Ecogen will be a direct replacement for the existing boiler.  It can meet all the home's heating needs while generating one kW of electricity for use in the home or export back to the grid if unused.

Electricity generated close to the point of use is far more efficient that that generated at a centralised power plant.  Two million micro-CHP units would have an output equivalent to one power station, and if four million permanent pilot boilers were replaced, it would save four Megatons of Carbon, which would satisfy 30 per cent of the Government's 2020 target for the domestic sector. 

After the event, Mark commented: "I was delighted to be invited by Alan Whitehead MP and PRASEG to speak at such an important event. The Government has promised much with its renewable energy strategy consultation, but it must not forget low carbon technologies such as micro-CHP.  We now look forward to the introduction of real policies, including financial incentives and the setting of targets to provide some certainty.

"We hope that all of those present at this important meeting will continue to support PRASEG in its valuable role and continue to promote sustainable heat technologies.''

For more information on PRASEG visit their website.  For more information on Baxi Ecogen micro-CHP click here.