Energy Saving Trust Boss Endorses Citizen Centred Approach to MicroGeneration

December 12, 2008

In response to Andrew Warrens post about why the Energy Savings Trust should be merged with the Carbon Trust, Edward Hyams (Chairman of the Energy Saving Trust) has posted that: ‘Merging the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust is the wrong answer‘  on the Carbon Challenge Blog. Mr Hyams argues that there is a potential conflict of interests by merging the the Energy Saving Trust since the Carbon Trust plays a (successful) role in developing and profiting from new technologies so it should not be advising on which technologies should be taken up.

Whatever the eventual outcome, the important thing is that a clear action plan develops that results in the widescale uptake of microgeneration amongst householders.

As Mr Hyams says:

Renewable heat (probably solar, heat pumps and biomass) need to rapidly increase in market penetration if we are to stand a chance of meeting our 2020 CO2 targets

he also goes on to say:

I am now convinced of the need for a focussed citizen centred approach as the best way of accelerating energy saving and resource efficiency in the domestic sector.

Microgeneration Forums was launched with precisely this aim in mind. The way the web enables the pooled knowledge gained by individuals installing and trying microgeneration technologies makes it an ideal way to encourage the uptake of microgeneration by helping people make informed decisions.

The important thing is that MicroGeneration starts to happen on a big scale and at the end of the day, every decision to implement starts with an individual.

Posted in microgeneration