Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government which energy efficiency measures are included in the "fabric-first approach to decarbonising buildings" set out in the Heat and Buildings Strategy (CP 388).
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Heat and Buildings Strategy is based on a 'fabric first' approach to decarbonising buildings by focusing on upgrading the building fabric before making changes to heating systems, to ensure the transition to low-caron heating is cost-effective and resilient.
Current schemes allow the installation of measures which improve the energy performance of a dwelling within the scope of the “Standard Assessment Procedure” (SAP) – which assesses the energy performance of dwellings. This can include measures such as solid wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, underfloor insulation, draught-proofing, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, high heat retention storage heating, low energy lighting, solar PV, solar thermal and heating controls.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that membership of the Energy Efficiency Taskforce includes representation from all parts of the energy efficiency sector, particularly with regard to insulation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As part of their work, the Taskforce has established four working groups. These have included insulation experts.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what organisations are members of the electricity Storage Health and Safety Governance Group; and when it last met.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Electrical Storage Health and Safety Governance Group last met on 13th March 2023. Member organisations include: the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the National Physical Laboratory, the Health and Safety Executive, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, London Fire Brigade, Kent Fire and Rescue Services, the National Fire Chief’s Council, the Association For Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers, the British Association of Electrotechnical Allied Manufacturers Association, the British Standards Institution, the University of Newcastle, the Institute for Engineering and Technology, the Energy Institute, and representatives from both the domestic and grid-scale energy storage industry as well as engineering consultancies.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of fires arising from solar photovoltaic panels.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Research funded by Government between 2015 and 2018 by the Building Research Establishment indicates the risk from solar PV fires is very low. Government continues to work with industry to make solar even safer and ensure best practice. In February 2023 RISCAuthority, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme and Solar Energy UK published an updated Joint Code of Practice on recommendations for fire risk prevention in UK solar systems.