MP's 'windmill Bill' paves the way for home-made power

SOLAR panels and wind turbines on houses could be the norm in less than a decade if new measures to encourage home-produced energy are passed by politicians, it was claimed today.

A private member's Bill introduced at Westminster by Edinburgh North and Leith Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz aims to encourage do-it-yourself energy generation by removing bureaucratic barriers.

He says people are keen to switch to "microgeneration" - using windmills, solar panels and the like on houses to power heat and light - but are turned off by red tape.

And Friends of the Earth Scotland says cutting through the rules and regulations will tap into massive potential for grassroots alternative energy production.

Mr Lazarowicz's Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill would set national and local targets for microgeneration and simplify the planning regime for the installation of home-based energy producing devices.

Mr Lazarowicz said: "The idea is to encourage domestic consumers and small businesses to produce their own electricity to meet some or all of their needs.

"And in some cases, they would also be able to supply electricity to the national grid."

He said between six and ten million homes across the UK could be involved in microgeneration.

"This is a major potential source of renewable or low carbon-emission energy, which could make a significant contribution to the country's energy needs," he continued.

"But there are a number of bureaucratic obstacles in the way. My Bill is intended to clear these away and allow microgeneration to take off as a form of energy production."

He said the development of microgeneration would bring benefits both to the country as a whole by reducing emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and to the households involved, who would see their own fuel bills fall.

"The indications are that people are interested in these forms of energy, but it is not made as easy as it might be for them.

"And these things need a critical mass to make them take off in a significant way."

Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said microgeneration was going to have to play an ever-increasing role if people were serious about tackling climate change.

"In the future, individuals or small groups of householders will be able to make a contribution to meeting their own energy needs," he said.

"Imagine how great it would be if in the future Edinburgh households could generate most, if not all, of the energy they consume."

And Dan Barlow, head of research for FoE Scotland, said a couple of solar panels could generate up to 50 per cent of a household's energy needs and a couple of wind turbines would probably be enough to supply all the electricity used by a typical family.

"There are companies working on it - they have identified there is considerable potential," he said.

"The technology is here. It just requires the barriers to be resolved and some incentives to encourage people.

"We would love it to become the norm and there is no reason why that should not happen."

He said it would cost very little for solar panels and wind turbines to be included in new-build homes and grants could help pay for their installation in existing houses.

"You could turn this round pretty quickly if there were greater incentives. We could see a massive turnaround in less than a decade."

Mr Lazarowicz won fourth place in the annual ballot for private members' Bills and is guaranteed parliamentary time for debate, probably in November. If the Government gave his proposals tacit approval, there is a good chance they could become law.