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Solar Power: East of England

Volume 494: debated on Thursday 25 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department has allocated to promoting take up of solar panel usage in (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the East of England since it was established; and if he will make a statement. (278845)

Between 2001 and 2006 over £41 million was committed to solar PV through grant programmes and field trials. Solar thermal technology, along with other renewable technologies, received support through the £12.5 million Clear Skies programme.

Since 2006, solar PV and solar thermal installations have been supported under the £131 million Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). Projects supported in Mid Bedfordshire constituency and the East of England region in each year since are as follows:

LCBP householder stream

East of England

Mid Bedfordshire

Grant offered

Paid amount

Grant offered

Paid amount

2006-07

Solar photovoltaic

367,707.32

228,187.66

0.00

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

99,600.00

78,800.00

1,200.00

1,200.00

2007-08

Solar photovoltaic

68,765.00

172,673.68

0.00

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

52,800.00

62,000.00

800.00

800.00

2008-09

Solar photovoltaic

183,794.80

138,134.80

9,420.00

2,500.00

Solar thermal hot water

102,400.00

96,800.00

3,200.00

2,800.00

2009-10

Solar photovoltaic

37,260.00

19,420.00

0.00

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

17,200.00

14,800.00

800.00

1,200.00

Phase 1: Communities1

East of England

Mid Bedfordshire

Grant offered

Paid amount

Grant offered

Paid amount

2006-07

Solar photovoltaic

30,364.20

0.00

0.00

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

2007-08

Solar photovoltaic

5,173.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

0.00

5,276.50

0.00

0.00

2008-09

Solar photovoltaic

n/a

0.00

n/a

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

n/a

0.00

n/a

0.00

2009-10

Solar photovoltaic

n/a

0.00

n/a

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

n/a

5,173.00

n/a

0.00

1 Applications closed for the communities stream in April 2007

Stream 2A (below £100,000)

East of England

Mid Bedfordshire

Grant offered

Paid amount

Grant offered

Paid amount

2007-081

Solar photovoltaic

36,353.50

n/a

0.00

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

43,549.90

n/a

0.00

0.00

2008-09

Solar photovoltaic

n/a

25,000.00

n/a

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

n/a

9,589.20

n/a

0.00

2007-082

Solar photovoltaic

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Solar thermal hot water

26,546.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1 Applications closed for Stream 2A in September 2007

2 Applications closed for Stream 2B in September 2007

Low Carbon Buildings Programme—Phase 2

Projects supported in Mid Bedfordshire constituency and the East of England region in each year since are as follows:

(a) There have been no accepted solar applications in Mid Bedfordshire for the duration of the programme.

(b) The following applications were supported in the East of England area.

East of England—value and number of project accepted per FY

Solar PV

Solar Thermal

£

Number of projects

£

Number of projects

2006-07

58,988

1

9,805

1

2007-08

443,206

23

15,502

7

2008-09

847,511

40

137,034

14

2009-10

0

0

0

0

Solar PV also receives support through the Renewables Obligation (RO). Since 1 April 2009, all microgenerators (50 kW and under) can apply for the highest level of support under the reformed RO (2 ROCs/MWh). We do not maintain data on the number of ROCs claimed per constituency or region.