- NEWS
- BERR outlines the coming years plans in for energy business regulation
- European Smart Metering Application Guide 2008. Smart Metering, Energy Efficiency and the Customer
- UK WEEE Regulations revised
- BERR Energy Statistics
- CENELEC: Changes at the helm
- Review of the New Approach
- BEAMA speaks at NHBC seminars
- 2007 revision of the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities
- CONSULATION UPDATE
- 'Climate Change Instruments: Areas for overlap and Options for Simplification'
- Next phase of EUP implementing measures
- FORTHCOMING EVENTS
- NEWS
- CONSULTATION UPDATE
- Recommendations for reducing overlap;
- Methods for streamlining monitoring and reporting;
- Ways to share data better;
- How to ensure all domestic policies add value to international ones.
- FORTHCOMING EVENTS
- 12th February - Thistle Hotel, Brands Hatch
- 13th February - Thistle Hotel, Heathrow
- 19th February - Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham
- 20th February - Hilton Hotel, Donington (E. Midlands)
- 21st February - Marriott Hotel, Huntingdon
- 4th March - Redworth Hall, Co Durham
- 5th March - Majestic Hotel, Harrogate
- 6th March - Reebok Stadium, Bolton
- 11th March - Botley Park Hotel, Botley (Hants)
- 12th March - Holiday Inn, Filton (Bristol)
BERR outlines the coming years plans in for energy business regulation
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has published a report entitled ‘Simplification plan 2007: promoting business and enterprise through better regulation’. The report sets out a simplification plan for the energy sector over the coming year. The main aspects of the plan are outlined below:
Energy Bill
The new Energy Bill will contain a mix of new measures and amendments to some of the existing provisions of energy legislation that are out of date. The Bill will strengthen the framework for investment in power stations, gas storage facilities and other energy infrastructure in order to help the UK ensure secure supplies of energy and tackle climate change. It will do this by encouraging growth in of renewable energy sources and enabling the development of emerging technologies to reduce emissions from fossil fuel power stations.
Planning Reform
The Planning Bill will ensure that an efficient and fair planning process deals with major energy infrastructure projects which are essential to security of energy supply. It seeks to depoliticise the planning system, give greater certainty to interested parties about timescales for decisions and outcomes, and increase transparency.
Climate Change Bill
The Climate Change Bill, led by DEFRA, puts in place a coherent package to strengthen the domestic policy framework. It aims to increase confidence in our long-term environmental targets by enshrining these in legislation and creating greater certainty for investors.
European Smart Metering Application Guide 2008. Smart Metering, Energy Efficiency and the Customer
ESMA is a project aimed at maximising the energy efficiency benefits resulting from the introduction of smart metering across Europe. The project is part funded by the European Commission and led by BEAMA and more details can be found on the project web site (www.esma-home.eu). The project team has now produced a first draft of a major report on best practice for implementing smart metering. The intention is to circulate this to all interested stakeholders to seek their feedback on the text and recommendations. If you would like to receive a copy of this draft report for review please contact John Parsons, Project Coordinator (jparsons@beama.org.uk).
An ESMA Workshop is being held in Warsaw on the 24th January that will carry on this review and provide an excellent networking opportunity for all those interested in energy efficiency and smart metering.
Again, please contact John Parsons if you would like to attend this workshop.
The UK’s Regulations implementing the WEEE Directive have been revised and take effect from beginning January 08. There are no major policy changes; for those with products already in the scope, the revised regulations now address the issue of re-use in the compliance calculations.
However revision of the Directive itself kicks off in earnest this year, and BEAMA will be ready to respond on any major policy changes which may be proposed.
Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices publications were published on 3 January by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Energy Trends covers statistics on energy production and consumption, in total and by fuel, and provides an analysis of the year on year changes. The December edition of Energy Trends also includes articles on: "Electricity generation and supply figures for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2005 and 2006"; "Regional and local electricity and gas consumption statistics for 2006"; and "Regional and local energy consumption".
Quarterly Energy Prices covers prices to domestic and industrial consumers, prices of oil products and comparisons of international fuel prices.
Download at http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/index.html
Following the unexpected resignation of the CENELEC president, on 12/12/2007 Dietmar Harting, President of DIN/DKE (Germany) was elected as President of CENELEC for 3 years. BEAMA Chief Executive, David Dossett, was appointed as Vice President for Finance. There are currently 10 board members and the plan in 2008 is to have 13 board members, divided into 4 categories.
The overhaul of the “new approach to technical harmonization and standards” which since 1985 has been the basis of the EU’s technical directives governing BEAMA products is now almost concluded. Good progress towards workable proposals was almost derailed by toy safety issues in the second half of 2007, but sense seems to have prevailed. We now await the priority and emphasis that the incoming EU Presidency will want to assign to this topic.
BEAMA has been invited to speak at the NHBC roadshow in 2008, a series of 10 seminars around England kicking off at Brands Hatch on 12th February. As part of the section covering ‘Cracking the Code for Sustainable Homes – Energy’, BEAMA will be informing house builder delegates about ‘What’s on the Shelf’. Kelly Butler will present the options that house builders can rely on to reach code levels 3 and 4; explaining how the technologies give carbon benefits, their capital and running costs and how the market can deliver to capacity. The core technologies covered will be heat pumps, solar thermal systems, low energy lighting, mechanical ventilation and controls.
Details of the seminars can be found through the link under forthcoming events.
BEAMA members will be able to exhibit at the seminars if they wish.
For further information and to book exhibition space, please contact:
Kellie Gower,
NHBC,
NHBC House,
Davy Avenue,
Knowlhill,
Milton Keynes,
Bucks MK5 8FP.
Tel: 01908 746714,
email: kgower@nhbc.co.uk
2007 revision of the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities
The major revision to the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC) announced by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2002, has been completed and will come into effect on 1st January 2008.
The broad outline showing the relationship between SIC 2002 & SIC 2007 can be found at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/sic/operation2007.asp
The full document has also been published by the ONS and can be downloaded from the following link. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14012
Further information can be made available by contacting the following ONS staff.
Tom Cuffe
tom.cuffe@ons.gov.uk
Lindsay Prosser
lindsay.prosser@ons.gov.uk
'Climate Change Instruments: Areas for overlap and Options for Simplification'.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/ccinstruments/index.htm.
The consultation sets out options for further aligning domestic and EU policy designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by industry, including the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, Climate Change Agreements and proposed Carbon Reduction Commitment. The Government is seeking views on options in the document, including:
The formal response is due on 19th March 2008 and BEAMA members need to respond to Howard Porter at hporter@beama.org.uk by 12th March 2008.
Next phase of EUP implementing measures
The consultant’s final report from which the Commission will draw its proposals for a programme of further EUP implementing measures to be developed over the next three years is now available for comment. The report and other background information can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/eco_design/workingplan.htm
Essential reading is the executive summary which explains that the study first tried to identify all energy using products in the scope, and sort them into identifiable, albeit broad, product categories. The study then attempted to sort out those which might justify an implementing measure and those which clearly didn’t. The starting list of 57 product categories was boiled down to 34 through this process, about two thirds of which were seen to possibly merit an early implementing measure, and one third possibly meriting an implementing measure but not so urgently.
BEAMA has several more products on high priority list A.
Please note this study’s shortlist does NOT represent the definite Commission proposal for priority groups to be targeted. However it is the basis for the discussion with stakeholders which has been scheduled for the January meeting of the EUP consultation forum, after which Commission decisions on what should comprise the implementing measure work programme over the next three years will not be long delayed. The Commission will be looking to select about 25.
BEAMA’s SPC and Environment Contacts Group has been consulted and BEAMA will be responding.
For more information contact
Anne Humberstone at ach@beama.org.uk
For bookings - http://www.nhbcbuilder.co.uk/Newsevents/Buildingfortomorrow2008/