Full Document Text
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Ofgem E-Serve 9 Millbank, London SW1P 3GE www.ofgem.gov.uk
Promoting choice and value
for all gas and electricity customers
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
Guidance
Reference: 147/11 Contact: RHI Operational Team
Publication date: 10 November 2011 Team: New Schemes Development
Tel: 0845 200 2122
Email: RHI.Enquiry@Ofgem.gov.uk
Overview:
This is the Guidance document for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a new Government
financial incentive scheme worth £860m to promote the uptake of renewable heat.
Ofgem will administer the RHI on behalf of Government, in accordance with the RHI Scheme
Regulations 2011 once they come into force. The overarching policy and detailed legislative
framework for the RHI are the responsibility of Government. Ofgem‘s E-Serve division already
has extensive experience in delivering similar environmental schemes, such as the Renewables
Obligation and Feed-in Tariffs.
Volume One of the Guidance describes the eligibility requirements of the RHI and how
prospective participants can become accredited or registered as applicable.
Volume Two describes the ongoing requirements for RHI participants, information on how
periodic support payments are calculated and paid, and our compliance and enforcement powers.
The Guidance is aimed at prospective RHI participants in the non-domestic sector and sets out
how Ofgem intends to administer the scheme. It is not intended to be a definitive legal guide to
the RHI.
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Context
This document describes how the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (Ofgem) will
administer the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a world first Government financial
incentive scheme designed to increase the uptake of renewable heat technologies
and reduce the UK‘s carbon emissions. It is a key measure for the UK to meet its
renewable energy target of 15 per cent by 2020 as required by the European Union.
To achieve an uptake of renewable heat technologies, the Government intends to
introduce the RHI in two phases. From the date that it comes into force, the RHI will
be available to parties in non-domestic sectors with eligible installations, and to
producers of biomethane. Through phase two of the scheme, the Government has
stated that in addition to expanding the non-domestic scheme it intends to introduce
support for the domestic sector. The RHI policy and tariff rates are set by the
Government, but the RHI will be administered by Ofgem.
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is using enabling powers
contained in the Energy Act 2008 as amended (‗the Act‘) to introduce the Renewable
Heat Incentive (RHI) in Great Britain. Subject to the Renewable Heat Incentive
Scheme Regulations 2011 (the Regulations) coming into force, we expect the RHI to
be open for applications before the end of 2011.
Administration of the RHI is a key part of Ofgem‘s forward work plan and is reflected
in Ofgem‘s Corporate Strategy 2011-20161 under ‗Theme 4 - Ensuring the timely and
efficient delivery of Government programmes for a sustainable energy sector‘. As
with other environmental programmes we deliver for the Government, including the
Renewables Obligation and the Feed-in Tariff scheme, it is our aim to administer the
RHI as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Associated documents
Readers should be aware of the following documents which support this publication.
Energy Act 20082
DECC Renewable Heat Incentive Policy Document3
Renewable Heat Incentive: Impact Assessment4
Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 20115
1http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/About%20us/CorpPlan/Documents1/Corporate%20Strategy%20an
d%20Plan%202011%20-%202016.pdf
2 www.legislation.gov.uk
3http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/what%20we%20do/uk%20energy%20supply/energy%2
0mix/renewable%20energy/policy/renewableheat/1387-renewable-heat-incentive.pdf
4http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/what%20we%20do/uk%20energy%20supply/energy%2
0mix/renewable%20energy/policy/renewableheat/1381-renewable-heat-incentive-ia.pdf
5 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/
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Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................... 6
1. Introduction .................................................................................. 8
Policy Context .............................................................................................. 8
RHI overview ................................................................................................ 8
Respective Roles ........................................................................................... 9
Ofgem‘s Key Functions ................................................................................ 10
Publication of guidance ............................................................................. 10
Publication of tariffs ................................................................................. 11
Reporting ............................................................................................... 11
Additional information .............................................................................. 12
Queries .................................................................................................. 12
Guidance documents ................................................................................... 12
Overview ................................................................................................ 12
Scope of this Guidance ............................................................................. 13
Date of this Guidance ............................................................................... 13
Devolved Administrations ......................................................................... 13
Treatment of personal data ....................................................................... 14
2. How to apply ............................................................................... 15
Accreditation under the Renewable Heat Incentive .......................................... 15
Before you apply ..................................................................................... 16
Making an application............................................................................... 17
Requests from Ofgem for further information .............................................. 18
Date of accreditation ................................................................................ 19
Early applications for 1MW or larger installations ......................................... 20
What is the difference between the ‗installation‘ and ‗commissioning‘ of an
eligible installation? ................................................................................. 20
How to apply when you have multiple plants ............................................... 21
Inspections and access to third party premises ............................................ 22
Preliminary Accreditation ............................................................................. 23
What does preliminary accreditation mean? ................................................ 23
Who is eligible for preliminary accreditation? ............................................... 24
Metering requirements ............................................................................. 24
Administration of preliminary accreditation ................................................. 25
Notification of preliminary accreditation ...................................................... 25
Circumstances under which preliminary accreditation conditions may be
attached, preliminary accreditation conditions may be amended, or preliminary
accreditation can be withdrawn ................................................................. 25
Conversion to full accreditation ................................................................. 26
3. Eligibility Summary and Checklist ................................................ 27
Legislation ................................................................................................. 27
Eligibility Criteria ..................................................................................... 27
Overall eligibility checklist ............................................................................ 28
4. General Eligibility Requirements .................................................. 30
The owner of the installation must be the applicant ......................................... 30
Installation capacity .................................................................................... 31
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Installation capacity for CHP systems ......................................................... 31
What is an installation? ................................................................................ 32
RHI interaction with publicly funded grants .................................................... 34
Date of completion of installation and first commissioning must be on or after 15
July 2009 ................................................................................................... 36
Transitional arrangements: installations commissioned between 15 July 2009
and the commencement of the scheme ...................................................... 36
New plant .................................................................................................. 37
Location of the plant ................................................................................ 37
Eligibility for CHP plants ........................................................................... 37
Installations heating one single domestic premises are ineligible ....................... 38
Heat delivery medium ................................................................................. 40
Microgeneration requirements (installations of 45kWth or less) ......................... 40
Other requirements ..................................................................................... 42
District and community heating ................................................................. 42
Fossil fuelled and dual fuelled biomass plant ............................................... 42
5. Technology specific criteria ......................................................... 43
Supported technologies and fuels .............................................................. 43
Solar thermal ............................................................................................. 43
Geothermal energy ..................................................................................... 43
Heat pumps ............................................................................................... 44
General eligibility ..................................................................................... 44
Heat pumps with integrated electrical immersion ......................................... 45
Coefficient of performance ........................................................................ 45
Evidence of COP required during application for RHI accreditation .................. 46
Reversible heat pumps ............................................................................. 49
Determination of heat pump installation capacity ......................................... 49
Biomass ..................................................................................................... 50
General biomass criteria ........................................................................... 50
Solid biomass boilers ............................................................................... 50
‘Solid’ ..................................................................................................... 51
Solid biomass plants above 45kWth ........................................................... 53
Ancillary and contaminated fuels ............................................................... 54
Future Emissions Limits ............................................................................ 55
Best Practice ........................................................................................... 55
Biomass contained in municipal waste ........................................................ 55
Biogas combustion for heat ....................................................................... 56
200kWth biogas limit ............................................................................... 57
Other criteria .......................................................................................... 57
Biogas and Feed-In Tariffs ........................................................................ 58
Combined heat and power ........................................................................ 58
Biomethane injection to the grid ................................................................... 59
Ineligible technologies ................................................................................. 60
6. Heat uses..................................................................................... 61
Eligible heat uses ........................................................................................ 61
Ineligible heat uses ..................................................................................... 65
7. Metering eligibility requirements ................................................. 67
Heat meters ............................................................................................... 68
Steam measuring equipment (steam meters) ................................................. 72
Additional information for systems with more than three RHI-relevant meters . 74
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CHP systems currently registered on the CHPQA scheme .............................. 74
Meter placement: simple and complex installations ......................................... 75
Meter placement for ‗simple‘ installations.................................................... 76
Meter placement for ‗complex‘ installations where the heat transfer medium is a
liquid (i.e. not steam) .............................................................................. 77
Meter placement for ‗complex‘ installations where the heat transfer medium is
steam .................................................................................................... 80
Location of meters on boilers with heat recirculation .................................... 82
Biogas-specific metering requirements ....................................................... 82
Shared meters ........................................................................................ 83
Installations in series ............................................................................... 84
Metering by difference .............................................................................. 84
Installation of meters ............................................................................... 84
Schematic diagram ..................................................................................... 85
Independent report on metering arrangements ............................................... 86
8. Registration for biomethane producers ....................................... 90
Biomethane as a developing technology ..................................................... 90
Existing regulatory framework ................................................................... 90
Biomethane registration eligibility ................................................................. 90
Assurance ............................................................................................... 92
How to register ........................................................................................... 92
Fuel measurement and sampling questionnaire ........................................... 94
Metering volume...................................................................................... 94
Measuring GCV ........................................................................................ 94
Appendices ...................................................................................... 96
Appendix 1 – Meter placement examples ........................................ 97
Appendix 2 – How to determine whether your CHP system is RHI
eligible .......................................................................................... 113
Appendix 3 – Technologies under consideration for inclusion in phase
two ................................................................................................ 114
Appendix 4 – List of Wastes that DEFRA has concluded are or are not
classified as municipal waste: The complete list ............................ 116
Appendix 5 – Glossary of RHI terms .............................................. 119
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Executive Summary
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is the world‘s first financial incentive scheme of
its kind designed to increase the uptake of renewable heat technologies and reduce
the UK‘s carbon emissions. Broadly speaking, the scheme provides a subsidy per
kWhth of eligible renewable heat generated from accredited installations and a
subsidy payable to producers of biomethane for injection.
The Government has appointed Ofgem to administer the RHI. Ofgem‘s E-Serve
division has extensive experience in delivering similar environmental schemes, such
as the Renewables Obligation and the Feed-in Tariff scheme. The Government is
responsible for developing the underpinning RHI policy including setting tariffs,
establishing the legislative framework, and the introduction of further scheme
elements in phase two.
Scheme Eligibility
Initially the scheme will support non-domestic renewable heat installations and the
production of biomethane for injection in the national gas grid.
The Government aims to introduce support for the domestic sector in phase two of
the scheme. In the interim, the domestic sector may be eligible for the Renewable
Heat Premium Payment (RHPP), which is a separate, complementary grant scheme
to the RHI. Further information on the RHPP is available from the Energy Savings
Trust‘s RHPP webpage.6
The following renewable heat technologies will be supported initially:
solid biomass and solid biomass contained in municipal waste (including CHP),
ground and water source heat pumps,
geothermal (including CHP),
solar thermal (at capacities of less than 200 kWth),
biogas combustion (except from landfill gas but including CHP; at capacities of
less than 200 kWth)
biomethane injection.
Participants will also need to meet several other eligibility requirements which are
explained in this Guidance. These include demonstrating that the heat is used for an
eligible purpose, that metering arrangements are appropriate, and that grants have
not been received for certain purposes.
Participants will be able to apply via the Ofgem RHI website from the start of the
scheme, expected to be before the end of 2011. This is subject to the Regulations
being approved by Parliament and coming into force.
6 http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Sell-your-own-
energy/Renewable-Heat-Premium-Payment
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Ongoing obligations
Once part of the scheme, participants will need to comply with a number of ongoing
obligations which are explained in this Guidance such as regular submission of heat
data, meter readings and fuel data for certain bioenergy installations. Participants
will also be expected to maintain their heating equipment and meters, and report
any significant changes to their installation or heat uses to Ofgem. Participants will
be required to make annual declarations to Ofgem confirming their compliance, and
may be selected for audits and/or a site inspection. Failure to comply with ongoing
obligations (including notification of a change of ownership of an accredited
installation) may lead to Ofgem taking compliance action against a participant.
Guidance Document structure
The Guidance sets out our procedures for the administration of the RHI under the
Regulations. Volume One provides details on eligibility requirements and how to
apply for the RHI. Volume Two provides details of the ongoing obligations on
participants, how periodic support payments are calculated, and our compliance and
enforcement powers.
The Guidance is not a definitive legal guide to the RHI, (although its publication is
made in accordance with the Regulations). Prospective participants are advised to
familiarise themselves with it and read it in conjunction with the Regulations as it
gives further elaboration on the obligations on participants under the Regulations
and how Ofgem intend to administer the scheme according to the Regulations. In
the event of any conflict between the Regulations and the Guidance, the Regulations
take precedence.
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1. Introduction
Policy Context
1.1. The European Union‘s (EU‘s) 2009 Renewable Energy Directive7 obliges the UK
to meet 15 per cent of its energy consumption from renewables by 2020 –
this includes energy from heat, transport and electricity. Renewable energy
will help the UK and the EU to meet targets to reduce carbon emissions and
improve energy security by making better use of indigenous and non-finite
resources. The UK Government also sees great potential in the development
of jobs in the green economy.
1.2. Though the EU did not issue sector-specific targets except for renewable
transport, the UK will need to develop each sector substantially to meet the
target. For heat, the Government has committed to the ambition that by
2020, 12 per cent of heat will come from renewable sources.
RHI overview
1.3. The RHI is a new Government financial incentive scheme designed to increase
the uptake of renewable heat and reduce the UK‘s carbon emissions. Broadly
speaking, the scheme provides a subsidy per kWhth of eligible renewable heat
generated from accredited installations and by registered producers of
biomethane. The objective of the RHI is to significantly increase the proportion
of the UK‘s heat that is generated from renewable sources, driving change in a
heat sector that is currently dominated by fossil fuel technologies. It aims to
encourage the uptake of renewable heat technologies by compensating for
barriers to their adoption, including the current higher upfront costs and
operational expenditure for these technologies as compared to those using
traditional fossil fuels.
1.4. A range of renewable heat technologies will be supported under the RHI.
These include solar thermal, ground and water source heat pumps, biomass
and biogas boilers, geothermal, energy from solid biomass in municipal waste
and biomethane injection into the gas grid. Payments will be made on a
quarterly basis over a 20 year period to the owner of the RHI installation or
producer of biomethane.
1.5. The Government intends to introduce the RHI in two phases:
In the first phase, addressed in this Guidance document, the RHI will be
available to parties with eligible installations in non-domestic sectors, and
to producers of biomethane. The first phase is expected to commence before
the end of 2011.
7 2009/28/EC
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In addition to expanding the non-domestic scheme, the Government aims to
introduce support for the domestic sector in phase two. This phase will
require further legislation and is not covered in this Guidance document.
Before the RHI is made available to the domestic sector, that sector may be
eligible for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP), a grant
scheme which is complementary to the RHI. For more information on the
RHPP, see the Energy Savings Trust RHPP webpage.8
Respective Roles
1.6. The Government is responsible for developing the underpinning RHI policy
including setting tariffs, establishing the legislative framework, and the
introduction of further scheme elements in phase two. Any queries about
these aspects should be addressed to DECC.
1.7. The Government has appointed Ofgem to administer the RHI. Ofgem‘s E-
Serve division already has experience in delivering similar environmental
schemes, such as the Renewables Obligation and Feed-in Tariffs.
8 http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Sell-your-own-
energy/Renewable-Heat-Premium-Payment
•Develop overarching policy framework and supporting legislation
•Set tariffs for different technologies
•Specify detailed eligibility criteria and scheme rules in RHI
Regulations
•Expected to introduce changes for phase two version of scheme
DECC
•Formally administer the scheme on behalf of Government and in
line with the Regulations
•Accredit installations and register biomethane producers as eligible,
checking identity, bank details and ownership as part of this process
•Make payments to scheme participants
•Ensure compliance with scheme rules
Ofgem
•Can apply for the RHI where they meet eligibility criteria
•Must comply with ongoing obligations
•Initially non-domestic participants only in RHI schemeParticipants
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Government, Ofgem and participants are involved in making the RHI work and each
plays a distinct but important role in the scheme. The diagram above provides a brief
overview of the responsibilities of each entity.
Ofgem‟s Key Functions
1.8. The Regulations detail Ofgem‘s key functions with respect to the RHI. The use
of 'Ofgem', 'us', 'our' and 'we' are used interchangeably in this Guidance when
referring to the exercise of our powers and functions under the RHI.
1.9. Key functions for Ofgem include:
Accreditation of installations and registration of producers of biomethane
which meet the eligibility criteria, including verifying identity, bank details and
ownership of an installation
Publishing guidance for participants and prospective participants to
understand how to apply and how to comply with the conditions of the RHI
Making payments on a quarterly basis to participants for the eligible heat
generated or biomethane produced
Monitoring and enforcing compliance with the initial eligibility and ongoing
requirements of the RHI as outlined in the Regulations
Undertaking inspections to ensure participants‘ ongoing obligations under the
RHI are being complied with
Reporting to the Secretary of State on the progress of the RHI on a monthly,
quarterly and annual basis
Providing a review procedure that allows prospective, current and former
participants to challenge our decisions in relation to the administration of the
RHI if they believe our decisions are incorrect.
1.10. We will carry out these functions as efficiently and effectively as possible. We
cannot, however, act beyond the scope of the powers as laid down in the
Regulations.
Publication of guidance
1.11. We are responsible for publishing guidance on the governance and
administration of the RHI, including: our approach to ensuring compliance
with the RHI; dealing with breaches of RHI requirements; conduct of
inspections and handling reviews of decisions.
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Publication of tariffs
1.12. We will publish an adjusted tariff table on an annual basis to reflect changes in
the Retail Prices Index (RPI).9 This will be published on or before 1 April each
year for the period commencing 1 April of that year and ending 31 March the
following year.
Reporting
1.13. In addition to providing monthly reports to DECC on the uptake of the
scheme, we will publish quarterly and annual reports on our website from the
launch of the scheme. These public reports will include the following
information:
aggregated details of accredited installations and fuel type
aggregated details of the technology replaced
total amount of periodic support payments made in that reporting period
total amount of heat generated for which payments have been made under
the RHI, as well as details of what this heat has been used for
sustainability information for certain installations using biomass
volume of biomethane injected by registered biomethane producers
1.14. We will also publish the following aggregated information on the Ofgem
website on an ongoing basis:
the number of accredited RHI installations and registered biomethane
producers
the technology and installed capacity of the installations
the total amount of heat generated and biomethane produced together with
the total amount of periodic support payments made under each tariff
1.15. We will aim to update this information daily.
9 The general purpose domestic measure of inflation in the United Kingdom. More information
available from the Office of National Statistics (www.statistics.gov.uk)
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Additional information
1.16. We may also publish further information which we hold in relation to the
performance of our functions under the Regulations if requested to do so by
the Secretary of State.
Queries
1.17. Any queries relating to the scheme operation or applicant eligibility should be
emailed to rhi.enquiry@ofgem.gov.uk with the nature of the query clearly
marked. If you are an existing participant, please note in the query that you
are a participant and your installation number. Written queries should be sent
to the address on the front of this Guidance clearly marked for the attention of
the RHI operational team. For telephone enquiries, the team can be contacted
on 0845 200 2122. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, except public
holidays. Please check the Ofgem RHI website for the opening hours of the
phone line.
Guidance documents
Overview
1.18. The Guidance is divided into two volumes for the reference of participants and
prospective participants in the RHI.
Volume One (this volume) provides an overview of the RHI, including
Ofgem‘s powers and duties with respect to the RHI, and information on the
eligibility requirements which an applicant must meet and the accreditation or
registration process which an applicant must go through in order to become
accredited or registered for the scheme and be eligible for incentive
payments.
Volume Two details the payment calculation and payments provisions for the
RHI, and ongoing obligations with which a participant needs to comply in
order to receive RHI payments. This includes information about how to
submit periodic data to Ofgem, including meter readings and annual
declarations. Consequences of non compliance, inspection arrangements and
the review process are also outlined.
1.19. There are two main purposes of the Guidance. The first purpose is to help
clarify how the RHI works, what the criteria for joining the RHI are, and what
your ongoing obligations will be once you are a participant in the RHI. The
second purpose is to set out how we propose to apply the Regulations in cases
where we have discretion. This means that, for example, where the
Regulations allow us to ask you for evidence, we provide in the Guidance more
detail on what form the evidence should generally take.
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Scope of this Guidance
1.20. This Guidance does not claim to anticipate every scenario which may arise.
Where a scenario arises which is not addressed in this Guidance, we will adopt
an approach which we consider to be consistent with the relevant legislation.
Any Guidance published in addition to this Guidance will be posted on our
website.
1.21. This Guidance is for guidance only and is not intended to provide
comprehensive legal advice on how the Regulations should be interpreted or
itself to have legal effect. At all times, the onus is on the owner of an
installation or producer of biomethane to ensure that he or she is aware of the
requirements of the Regulations. We will provide advice on the eligibility of
technologies where we can. However, if a technology is new, developers might
find it helpful to seek their own legal and technical advice before approaching
us.
1.22. This Guidance represents Ofgem‘s approach to matters concerning its general
administration of the scheme in accordance with the current Regulations. If
the Regulations change in the future Ofgem will reconsider its administrative
arrangements accordingly.
1.23. Where a participant contracts with third parties in relation to the generation of
renewable heat or the production of biomethane, it is the participant‘s
responsibility to ensure, via contractual or other arrangements, that these
parties also comply with any relevant ongoing obligations under the RHI.
Needless to say, the obligations entered into by the participant on becoming
accredited or registered remain those of the participant rather than being
transferred to the third party concerned.
Date of this Guidance
1.24. The Guidance will apply from the coming into force of the Regulations,
expected to be before the end of 2011.
Devolved Administrations
1.25. In accordance with the Act, we can only make payments to eligible renewable
heat installations that are generating heat in England, Wales and Scotland, or
to biomethane producers injecting into the grid in these regions. Amendments
to the relevant legislation are a matter for the Secretary of State and Scottish
Ministers. Northern Ireland will not be included in the RHI as the powers to
implement the RHI legislation conferred by the Act do not currently extend to
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the province.10 The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are excluded from the
scheme.
Treatment of personal data
1.26. All personal data collected from participants by Ofgem will be processed in
accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Ofgem is a public Authority and
must protect the public funds we handle, so we may use the information you
have given us to prevent and detect fraud. As part of this process, your
information may be supplied to a third party that conducts ID verification and
bank account validity checks. We may also share this information, for the
same reasons, with other government organisations involved in the prevention
and detection of crime. Please note that some personal data will be shared
with DECC for the purpose of monitoring the scheme and that, where
appropriate, DECC may share that data with the Devolved Administrations.
10 Although note that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland
have issued a consultation document on introducing an RHI scheme for Northern Ireland under
proposed new powers:
http://www.detini.gov.uk/consultation_on_the_development_of_the_northern_ireland_renewa
ble_heat_incentive
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2. How to apply
Chapter Summary
This Chapter sets out what accreditation under the RHI means, who can apply, what
the process is for applying to the scheme, and how to determine how many
applications you need to complete. The registration process for biomethane
producers is addressed separately in Chapter Eight of this Volume.
Figure 1: High level end to end process for an RHI participant
Accreditation under the Renewable Heat Incentive
Overview
2.1. In order to receive support under the RHI, an eligible installation will have to
be accredited by Ofgem. Accreditation (which is defined in the Regulations) is
the term that we use to denote admission by us of an applicant to the RHI
once we determine that the installation meets the eligibility criteria of the
scheme and that the application for accreditation is properly made.
2.2. Biomethane producers are treated differently to other participants in the RHI.
For full details on how to register as a biomethane producer for the RHI,
please see Chapter Eight, ‗Registration for Biomethane Producers‘.
2.3. In order to gain accreditation for an installation, an applicant will have to
demonstrate to us that an installation meets the RHI eligibility criteria,
including that the installation is of an eligible renewable heat technology type
and size, the heat is used for an eligible purpose, that metering arrangements
are appropriate, and that grants for certain purposes have not been received.
For further information on general and technology-specific eligibility
requirements please see Chapters Four and Five respectively of this Volume.
Information on eligible heat uses can be found in Chapter Six, while the
requirements for metering arrangements are explained in detail in Chapter
Seven.
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2.4. Applications for RHI accreditation can only be made by an Authorised
Signatory. An Authorised Signatory is a person who is authorised to open and
use an account with the Ofgem RHI website or provide information by post,
submit reporting information and complete the RHI annual declaration. If the
applicant is not an organisation this person must, as appropriate, be the
owner of an eligible renewable heat installation (or in the case of an
installation which has multiple owners, the representative owner who has
authority to act on behalf of all such owners) or where the owner or
representative owner is an organisation, the nominated individual who is
authorised by the organisation to open and use an account with the Ofgem
RHI website or submit postal information on behalf of that organisation in its
capacity as an owner or representative owner.
2.5. Prior to accrediting an RHI applicant, we must successfully verify the identity
of the Authorised Signatory using personal information provided to us, and
also validate the bank details provided. This information will be treated in
accordance with the Data Protection Act as highlighted in Chapter One of this
Volume of the Guidance. Our obligation to verify the identity of applicants and
validate bank details is set out in the Regulations and is part of a package of
fraud prevention measures designed to guard against the misappropriation of
public funds.
2.6. For a quick reference eligibility summary and checklist, please see Chapter
Three of this Volume. For more detailed information on the general eligibility
requirements, the requirements for individual technologies, heat uses and
metering eligibility requirements, please see Chapters Four to Seven
respectively.
Before you apply
2.7. Before you apply, we would provide the following advice to applicants to
improve the likelihood of a smooth passage through the application process:
Read this Guidance in full. It provides detailed information on our approach to
administering the scheme, eligibility requirements and information on areas of
interpretation.
Prepare your accreditation application well. Gather relevant information (eg
technical specifications of meters and boilers, schematics, planning consents,
invoices and commissioning documents) that you will need to provide – you
have the option of sending these in electronically as part of your online
application, and it is recommended that you send the information in this way.
This Guidance provides information on the types of information we will need
applicants to provide. In addition, we will aim to provide a summary of
documents you will need to retain on our RHI website in the form of a
‗Summary of Supporting Information for RHI Applicants‘ by the launch of the
scheme. If you are still unsure what is required, please contact the RHI
enquiry line or by email.
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Send a high quality application. One cause of operational delays in assessing
electronic applications is resolving issues with poor quality submissions. We
recommend you provide clear, concise and complete information and ensure
electronic documents are high quality (eg easy to navigate, any scans are
legible).
Making an application
Figure 2: How to apply for accreditation
2.8. To apply for accreditation for an installation, you will need to apply online via
the Ofgem RHI website (www.ofgem.gov.uk/RHI), and send in a separate
hard copy form with your organisation‘s bank account details. If you are
unable to apply online, you will be able to call Ofgem on 0845 200 2122 to
discuss your requirements, which may include the provision of a paper
application. Please note that we recommend applicants apply via the online
system as this will allow us to process your application more quickly. For
details of how we determine your accreditation date, please see below.
2.9. Accreditation can only be received once an eligible installation has been first
commissioned. However, as an administrative concession, if the installation is
1MW or larger, we will accept applications for such installations up to a month
prior to the installation‘s first commissioning. Please see the ‗Early applications
for 1MW or larger installations‘ section below for further information. Please
note that this provision for early applications is separate to what the
Regulations refer to as ‘preliminary accreditation‘. For full details on
preliminary accreditation, please see the ‗Preliminary accreditation‘ section of
this Chapter below.
2.10. When completing the RHI application process online, please be aware that all
accreditation questions relevant to your installation will need to be answered
before you can submit your application. The information you will be required
to provide at the application stage will depend on the technology type and size
of your installation, and the complexity of your heat uses.
2.11. You will need to provide evidence in support of your application that shows the
installation company details, date of installation and installation serial number
Owner creates an
account on the RHI
system
Owner enters
installation
information ( heat
use , metering
arrangements etc )
Owner provides
relevant
documentation to
support their
application
Ofgem reviews the
application
Ofgem requests
further information
Ofgem accredits the
installation and
informs the
participant of their
ongoing obligations
The owner provides
the information as
requested by Ofgem
Ofgem does NOT
accredit the
installation and
explains to the
applicant the reasons
for rejection
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for your installation. Because each application will be different, this evidence
could be any one (or a combination) of the following:
Receipts and/or invoices relating to the installation of the equipment
Commissioning certificate
Commissioning report
Photograph of the installation clearly showing the serial number of the
equipment
2.12. Also, to receive accreditation, you must declare at this stage that you (or the
owner(s) you represent) will continue to meet the ongoing obligations
required by the scheme to receive accreditation. For further information on
these obligations, please see Volume Two of the Guidance.
2.13. You must ensure that the information you submit is accurate. If we
subsequently find that accreditation information was incorrect we may need to
take compliance action. Receiving a financial gain through knowingly
submitting false information could constitute fraud and where we suspect this
has happened we will pass information on to the relevant authorities for
further action which may lead to prosecution.
Requests from Ofgem for further information
2.14. Once you have submitted your application and your identity and bank details
have been verified, we will then review all the information before making a
decision as to whether the installation can be accredited. In some cases, we
will need to contact you for further information to enable us to verify
eligibility. After submitting your application you should therefore check for
follow-up communication from Ofgem. Once we have received all of the
necessary information, we will review your application for accreditation.
2.15. Please note that you must submit all information that directly relates to your
installation via the RHI IT system. This will help to ensure data integrity, a
proper audit trail, and minimise the time taken to process your application.
N.B. The bank account information form is an exception to this as it must be
printed, completed and posted to us. There could be other exceptional
circumstances when you may be asked to provide data or documents via
email or post.
2.16. If we are satisfied that the application has been properly made, that all of the
relevant eligibility criteria have been met and that you are able to comply with
the ongoing obligations of the scheme, we will then accredit the installation
and you will become a participant in the scheme. We will notify you in writing
whether your application for accreditation has been successful.
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2.17. Please also note that before your installation is accredited, we may arrange for
a site inspection to be carried out so that we can be assured that the
installation is eligible and should be accredited.
2.18. We require accredited participants to retain evidence relating to the
installation‘s design and installation, such as technical calculations, drawings,
commissioning data or other operating and maintenance documentation, as
applicable to the installation. We may ask to see this during the accreditation
process or as part of an audit.
2.19. Once you are a participant in the scheme, you are able to receive support for
your accredited installation. We will send you a statement of eligibility which
will include or refer you to the following:
the date of accreditation
the applicable tariff rate for your installation
the process and timing for providing meter readings
details of the frequency and timetable for payments
the tariff lifetime and the tariff end date for the installation
the terms and conditions for your ongoing participation in the scheme.
2.20. If your application is not successful, you will be notified in writing of the
reason(s) why. You are entitled to ask for a review of the decision to reject an
application for accreditation. For more information on how to request a
review, please see Chapter 12, Volume Two of this Guidance.
2.21. It will be a condition of accreditation that you must notify us within 28 days of
any changes to your accredited installation or to any of the plants, including
the installation of another plant, supplying heat to a heating system of which
your accredited installation forms part. You must contact us with this
information, and, depending on the information that has changed, amend your
details in your online account. If the new information you supply affects your
tariff rate or your eligibility to receive RHI payments we shall notify you and
advise you as to what we intend to do in the circumstances.
Date of accreditation
2.22. The date of accreditation for your installation is the date from which your RHI
payments will be calculated. The date of accreditation is the later of either the
date on which an application (which is complete and which demonstrates the
eligibility of an installation) is received by Ofgem and we are satisfied that the
application was properly made, or the date the installation was first
commissioned. As we do not process applications for accreditation in most
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cases for installations which are not yet commissioned, we expect the date of
accreditation to be the date we received your application, provided we are
satisfied that your application is complete and that all of the eligibility criteria
were met at this point. For installations that can apply for accreditation early
(please see section ‗Early applications for 1MW or larger installations below),
we expect the date of accreditation to be the date of first commissioning.
2.23. If we are not satisfied that your application contains all the required
information, the date of accreditation will be the date on which this
outstanding information is provided to us, subject to all eligibility criteria being
met at that time. If we are not satisfied that all the eligibility criteria are met
on the date you submitted you originally submitted your application (for
example, an extra meter is required), the date of accreditation will be the date
on which you have demonstrated to us that the installation has met all of the
relevant eligibility criteria. For more information on these criteria, please see
Chapters Four-Seven respectively of this Volume. Please note that to ensure
that the processing of your application can be completed in a timely manner,
your hard copy bank details form should be sent to Ofgem as soon as possible
after you have completed your online application.
2.24. If in exceptional circumstances you are submitting a paper application, please
note that provided we are satisfied all eligibility criteria have been met, your
accreditation date will be the day on which your completed, signed
accreditation application was received by Ofgem (not the date on which a
paper application form was requested). We recommend that proof of
posting/delivery should be obtained when submitting postal applications.
Early applications for 1MW or larger installations
2.25. If your installation is 1MW or larger and has already been built, we will accept
applications for accreditation up to a month prior to your installation being
first commissioned. This early application window provides us with more time
to process accreditation applications that are likely to be complex. Apart from
this difference, the process for applying for accreditation for 1MW or larger
installations is the same as that discussed in the ‗How to apply for
accreditation‘ section above.
2.26. Please note that if your installation is 1MW or larger and you choose to lodge
an early application, the installation‘s accreditation date will be the date of
first commissioning. This is provided that all other relevant eligibility criteria
have also been met. You will need to contact Ofgem to advise us that your
installation has been first commissioned and we will require evidence such as
the initial meter readings from the installation.
What is the difference between the „installation‟ and „commissioning‟ of an
eligible installation?
2.27. To install an eligible installation means to build and/or put in place the
relevant plant. At this stage, the plant has not begun generating heat. To
‗commission‘ a plant means to carry out all necessary tests and procedures
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required by industry standards to show that the plant is able to deliver heat
for the purpose for which it was installed. For smaller scale installations,
installation and commissioning may happen on the same day. At the larger
scale there is usually a significant testing period, so the date of installation
and date of commissioning may be different.
How to apply when you have multiple plants
2.28. Applicants should apply only once for each installation for which they wish to
claim RHI support. If you have multiple plants then you need to know whether
these need to be applied for separately or if they should be considered
together as a single installation.
2.29. As provided in the Regulations11, an installation can consist only of one plant
unless two or more plants making up an installation meet the following
criteria:
the component plant meets the eligibility criteria
the plants use the same source of energy and technology (e.g. ground source
heat pump)
the plants form part of a common heating system, and
none of the plants has already been accredited as an RHI installation.
In these cases, two or more component plants will be regarded as a single
plant for RHI purposes if, in addition, the eligibility criteria referred to in the
Regulations12 are also satisfied and you should make one application for that
single plant.
2.30. For example, if you wanted to apply for RHI support for two biomass boilers
supplying heat to a common heating system, these would be treated as a
single plant if the other conditions mentioned above were also satisfied and
your ‗installation‘ would comprise both biomass boilers. You would submit a
single application including information on both boilers, rather than submitting
two separate applications.
2.31. If your plants do not use the same source of energy or form part of different
heating systems, or if the other conditions referred to above are not met, they
will be considered to be standalone not component plants and, therefore, will
be treated as separate installations. You will have to apply for accreditation for
each installation (plant) separately in this instance. Separate metering
arrangements will also apply.
11 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 14(2) & (3)
12 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 14(3)
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2.32. Please see Figure 3 to assess whether you should submit a single or multiple
applications for RHI support.
2.33. Where an installation comprises more than one component plant (i.e. forms a
single plant) we will consider the combined installation capacity of the
component plants when determining the appropriate eligibility criteria for the
installation. For example, the independent report on metering arrangements
(see Chapter Seven of this Volume for further information on the report)
would be required if the combined installation capacity of both boilers as
discussed in Section ‗Installation Capacity‘ of Chapter Four is equal to or
greater than 1MWth.
2.34. If one or more of the plants is already accredited under the RHI, the addition
of a further plant may be treated as ‗additional capacity.‘ Please refer to
Volume Two, Chapter Seven, ‗Treatment of additional capacity‘ for further
information on how to apply for accreditation for the additional plant(s).
Figure 3: Do I need to submit a single application for RHI support or multiple
applications?
Inspections and access to third party premises
2.35. In order to encourage compliance with the scheme, we (or agents authorised
on our behalf), will carry out a programme of site inspections of plants at the
pre-accreditation stage and of accredited installations on an ongoing basis.
2.36. In instances where the installation and/or its associated infrastructure are
located on third party premises not owned or controlled by the participant, the
H o w m an y p l an t s
ar e y o u ap p l y i n g f o r
R H I s u p p o r t f o r ?
D o al l o f t h e p l an t s
u s e t h e s am e
en er g y s o u r c e?
D o al l o f t h e p l an t s
f o r m p ar t o f a
c o m m o n h eat i n g
s y s t em ?
Y o u h av e o n e
i n s t al l at i o n
T h i s c o m p r i s es al l
t h e p l an t s e x c e p t f o r
an y w h i c h ar e
al r ead y R H I
ac c r ed i t ed
Y o u h av e m u l t i p l e
i n s t al l at i o n s .
E ac h i n s t al l ati o n w i l l b e
c o m p r i s ed o f t h o s e p l an t s
w h i c h :
• u s e t h e s am e en er g y s o u r c e
• f o r m p ar t o f a c o m m o n h eat i n g
s y s t e m
• ar e n o t al r ead y R H I ac c r ed i t ed
O n l y 1
Y
N
Y N
M o r e
t h an 1
A r e an y o f t h e
p l an t s al r ead y
ac c r ed i t ed u n d er
t h e R H I ?
Y
N
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participant will be required, as a condition of accreditation, to ensure access
(by contractual or other means) for Ofgem (or our authorised agents) to such
premises for the purposes of inspection. This will include access to non-
domestic premises which are served by the installation for the purpose of
verifying eligible heat use. We may also require you to provide evidence (e.g.
site plans for domestic premises or external photographs) that domestic
premises receiving heat from the heat distribution system are in fact domestic
and do not have ineligible uses.
2.37. Further information regarding our approach to the audit and inspection of
accredited installations can be found at Chapter 11 of Volume Two of this
Guidance.
Preliminary Accreditation
2.38. In certain cases, applicants who are proposing to construct or operate an
installation can apply for preliminary accreditation. The Government has
decided to allow preliminary accreditation for certain proposed installations at
the planning stage to give relevant applicants more certainty about future
accreditation.
What does preliminary accreditation mean?
2.39. Preliminary accreditation means an individual or an organisation can submit
plans and evidence demonstrating that, once built, an installation would meet
the eligibility criteria of the RHI scheme. If we are satisfied that the eligibility
criteria would be met, that it is likely renewable heat will be generated at the
plant and that certain planning requirements are met, we will grant
preliminary accreditation, which may include conditions. It is only available for
installations that have not yet been commissioned.
2.40. Receiving preliminary accreditation can be considered as a form of ‗in
principle‘ agreement. It does not itself make the applicant a participant on the
scheme, and no payments will be made on the basis of a preliminary
accreditation. But it does give assurance that once the proposed installation is
built and the owner applies for ‗full‘ accreditation to the scheme, we will grant
full accreditation providing that the installation is then built in line with the
plans submitted, and other conditions are met as set out below.
2.41. There are no time limits on the validity of preliminary accreditation. However,
receipt of preliminary accreditation is not a guarantee that a future ‗full‘
accreditation application will be granted. In certain circumstances specified in
the Regulations we will not do so, including where the legislation has changed
since the preliminary accreditation in a way that means that, if the application
for preliminary accreditation had been made after the change, it would have
been refused... Similarly, Preliminary Accreditation does not guarantee that a
specific tariff rate will be received if future regulation changes affect tariff
rates.
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Who is eligible for preliminary accreditation?
2.42. Preliminary accreditation is expected to be used for larger, more complex and
bespoke installations, where greater up front clarity on eligibility may be
needed. The Regulations only allow applications for preliminary accreditation
for the following technologies:
geothermal
biogas
solid biomass and solid biomass contained in municipal waste installations –
but note this is only available for those proposed installations with a capacity
of 200kWth and above.
2.43. As stated in the Regulations13, you will be required to provide evidence that
relevant planning requirements relating to the construction or operation of an
installation are satisfied when applying for preliminary accreditation. This
means that an installation has been granted the necessary planning
permission, or that such planning permission is not required and appropriate
evidence of this is provided to us.
2.44. In the case of conditional planning permission, this should be provided, along
with an explanation of why it is conditional, or we may, upon an application by
the person who proposes to construct or operate the installation, grant
preliminary accreditation. We cannot grant preliminary accreditation unless
the consent or permission is forthcoming or it is evidenced that consent or
permission is not needed. Given time limits on planning consents and
permissions, we will only grant preliminary accreditation if the consent or
permission is current.
Metering requirements
2.45. As part of your preliminary accreditation application, you will be required to
submit a schematic diagram detailing the proposed layout of your installation
including positioning and the number of meter(s) that will be used. Please see
section ‗Schematic diagram‘ in Chapter Seven of this Volume for further
information on this requirement. Please note you are not required at this
stage to provide information regarding meter serial number(s), make(s) or
model(s) of your meter(s), where these have not yet been selected. You will
be required to provide an updated schematic with the full details if you later
apply for full accreditation.
13 Regulations, Part 3, Regulation 26(1)
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Administration of preliminary accreditation
2.46. All applicants who receive preliminary accreditation for an installation will be
required to advise us of any material changes made to the installation.
‗Material changes‘ means changes to the installation as planned or built which
may affect the tariff of the installation under the RHI, or that would mean that
the installation would no longer be considered eligible to receive full
accreditation under the RHI. Applicants should contact us for advice if they are
in any doubt as to whether the changes they are considering are material.
2.47. Please note that the eligibility requirement in relation to publicly funded grants
(discussed in the ‗RHI interaction with publicly funded grants‘ section in
Chapter Four of this Volume) also applies to applicants for and recipients of
preliminary accreditation. If you are awarded preliminary accreditation and
are subsequently paid a grant from public funds for the costs of purchasing or
installing the equipment, you must inform Ofgem as this will render you
ineligible for full accreditation. For further information on the publicly funded
grants requirement, see section ‗RHI interaction with publicly funded grants‘ in
Chapter Four of this Volume.
2.48. We may attach other conditions upon granting preliminary accreditation to an
applicant. These will depend on the circumstances of the application and will
be determined on a case by case basis.
Notification of preliminary accreditation
2.49. We will confirm preliminary accreditation in writing to the applicant.
Preliminary accreditation will in most cases be effective from the date we issue
the notification letter to you or in some circumstances a later date we may
specify in the notice. The notification letter will also specify any conditions
attached to the preliminary accreditation.
2.50. Alternatively we may contact applicants to specify what further information is
needed before preliminary accreditation can be granted.
2.51. If we decide to reject an application, we will write to you with an explanation
of the reasons why.
Circumstances under which preliminary accreditation conditions may be
attached, preliminary accreditation conditions may be amended, or
preliminary accreditation can be withdrawn
2.52. The Regulations set out circumstances in which, following the granting of
preliminary accreditation, conditions may be attached to a preliminary
accreditation, conditions attached to a granted preliminary accreditation can
be amended, or a preliminary accreditation can be withdrawn. These
circumstances are the following:
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there has been a material change(s) in circumstances since the preliminary
accreditation was granted;
the information contained in the original application was incorrect in a
material respect; or
there has been a change in the applicable legislation since the date of
preliminary accreditation was granted, and that change is such that if the
application for preliminary accreditation had been made after this change the
preliminary accreditation would not have been granted; or
any conditions attached at the date of granting preliminary accreditation have
not been complied with.
Conversion to full accreditation
2.53. Once an installation in receipt of preliminary accreditation has been built, the
owner of the installation can apply for full accreditation in order to become a
participant in the RHI and receive RHI payments. As part of their application
for full accreditation the applicant should give the reference number of the
preliminary accreditation that had been received.
2.54. In assessing the application for full accreditation, we will take into account the
preliminary accreditation granted as explained in the next paragraph.
2.55. Where the installation has been built and commissioned in line with the
original preliminary accreditation, preliminary accreditation has not been
withdrawn and any conditions (including amended or additional conditions) set
out in the preliminary accreditation continue to be complied with, we will grant
full accreditation unless:
we consider the information on which the original preliminary accreditation
was based was incorrect in a material respect such that, if we had known
about it at the time of preliminary accreditation, we would not have granted
the preliminary accreditation, or
there has been a material change in circumstances or a change in applicable
legislation since the date of preliminary accreditation such that, in either case,
if the application for preliminary accreditation had been made after the date of
the change it would have been refused.
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3. Eligibility Summary and Checklist
Chapter Summary
This Chapter contains a summary of the key eligibility criteria, along with references
for each item as to where else in the document a more detailed explanation can be
found. It should be read in conjunction with the following Chapters.
Legislation
3.1. The Act, which provides for the establishment of the RHI scheme, lists the
sources of energy and technologies which may be eligible for support. Those
sources of energy and technologies which will receive support from the
commencement of the RHI in 2011 are set out in greater detail in the
Regulations. The Regulations also determine the other criteria which must be
met by prospective participants in order to qualify for such support.
Eligibility Criteria
3.2. If you want to apply for RHI accreditation for an installation, you will need to
demonstrate to Ofgem that the installation meets the eligibility criteria for the
RHI.
3.3. There are some general eligibility criteria which all applicants will need to
meet in order for the installation to be accredited and for the owner of the
installation to become a participant in the RHI. These are summarised in the
list below with the details spelled out in the ‗General eligibility requirements‘,
‗Heat Uses‘ and ‗Metering eligibility requirements‘ Chapters.
3.4. Further eligibility criteria may need to be satisfied in relation to particular
technologies and fuels. These are summarised in the list below and set out in
Chapter Five, ‗Supported technologies and fuels‘.
3.5. Please note that producers of biomethane should refer to Chapter Eight,
‗Registration for biomethane producers‘ for the specific requirements for
biomethane producers.
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Overall eligibility checklist
3.6. The following checklists summarise for ease of reference the key eligibility
requirements – this is meant as a starting point and should not be seen as
comprehensive or as an alternative to reading the detailed requirements in
this document and in the Regulations.
Table 1: General eligibility checklist
1) The applicant is the owner of the eligible installation (see Chapter Four), the
owner‟s identity has been verified by us and their bank details have been
validated
Where there are multiple owners, the applicant must have permission to act for the others
2) The plant is an eligible renewable heat technology type and size (please see
Table 2 below)
3) The installation was completed and the plant was first commissioned on or after
15 July 2009 (see Chapter Four)
(or is a CHP installation which was generating electricity only prior to 15 July 2009, using
biomass or biogas and converted to become an eligible CHP system on or after 15 July 2009)
4) No grants from public funding have been or will be received for purchasing or
installing the eligible installation (see Chapter Four)
(or for installations commissioned between 15th July 2009 and the start date for the RHI
those grants have been repaid)
5) The plant was new at the time of installation (see Chapter Four)
6) For applicable technologies: The plant has MCS or equivalent certification, and
the installer of the plant had MCS or equivalent certification at time of
installation (see Chapter Four)
7) The plant uses either liquid or steam as the heat delivery medium (see Chapter
Four)
8) The plant is providing heat for at least one eligible heat use: heating a space,
heating water or carrying out a process, where the heat is used within a building
(see Chapter Five)
9) The installation is not solely heating a single domestic premises (see Chapter
Four)
10) The metering arrangements are correct – right types of meters, calibrated,
and placed in correct locations according to whether the installation is classed
as “simple” or “complex” (see Chapter Seven)
11) The specific criteria, relevant to the technology applied for are met (see table
2 and Chapter Five)
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Eligible technologies and sizes
Table 2: Eligible technologies and sizes and technology specific criteria
Eligible technology Technology-specific criteria
Solid biomass All scales eligible
MCS certification requirements apply for installations less
than or equal to 45kWth
Must be specifically designed and installed to use solid
biomass as its only primary fuel source
Fuel eligibility requirements (see Volume Two)
Solid biomass contained in
municipal waste
All scales eligible
May not burn non municipal waste
Fuel eligibility requirements (see Volume Two)
Ground-source heat pumps
Water-source heat pumps
All scales eligible
MCS certification requirements apply for installations less
than or equal to 45kWth
Must extract naturally occurring energy
Must have a CoP of at least 2.9
Reversible heat pumps must only measure heating not
cooling
Capacity of heat pumps to be specified based on design
conditions
Geothermal All scales eligible
To count as geothermal, must generate heat using
naturally occurring energy located and extracted from at
least 500m beneath the surface of solid earth
Solar thermal Installations less than 200 kWth eligible
MCS certification requirements apply for installations less
than or equal to 45kWth
Collector type must be flat plate or evacuated tube
Biogas combustion Installations less than 200 kWth eligible
Must be from anaerobic digestion, gasification or pyrolysis
Participant must not use biogas which is landfill gas
May not generate heat from solid biomass
Fuel eligibility requirements (see Volume Two)
CHP Must be one of the following technologies: geothermal,
biogas, solid biomass contained in municipal waste or solid
biomass, and meet the criteria for those technologies
Ineligible in certain circumstances if accredited under the
RO and if it is or has been ‗a qualifying CHP station‘
Biomethane injection See Chapter Eight
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4. General Eligibility Requirements
Chapter Summary
This Chapter sets out the general eligibility criteria for accreditation under the RHI
such as that an installation must be new and the heat generated be used for eligible
purposes. This Chapter also discusses the requirements for transitional combined
heat and power (CHP) installations. Please see the following Chapter for details on
the requirements for individual technologies.
4.1. The following sections set out a number of general eligibility criteria that apply
to all applications.
The owner of the installation must be the applicant
4.2. It is a requirement that the owner, or where more than one person is the
owner, one of the owners (the ‗representative owner‘14) as agreed with the
other owners, of an installation be the person making the application for
accreditation. An ‗owner‘ in the context of the RHI is the person/organisation
with exclusive rights and liabilities in respect of an RHI installation. The owner
or where there is more than one owner, the representative owner, is the
person who will receive RHI payments for an accredited installation. We
expect that the owner will normally be the person/organisation who purchased
and paid for the installation of the equipment.
4.3. The only exception to the above is in the circumstance of a ‗hire purchase
agreement, a conditional sale agreement or any agreement of a similar
nature‘. In these cases, the Act15 defines the ‗owner‘ for RHI purposes to be
the person in possession of the plant under such an agreement. So it is this
person who should apply for the RHI. We may require evidence from the
applicant to verify that such an agreement is in place. We will interpret ‘any
agreement of a similar nature‗ to mean a contract providing for the separation
of legal ownership and physical possession, and containing provision (which
may be subject to conditions) for the ultimate transfer of ownership to the
person having possession.
4.4. As part of the application for accreditation, the applicant will be required to
declare that s/he is the owner, or representative owner, of the relevant
eligible installation.
4.5. Where the prospective participant is a company or public authority, an
individual within that organisation should be nominated by the owner or
representative owner to act on the organisation‘s behalf when applying for
accreditation under the RHI (‗nominated individual‘).
14 Where there is more than one owner of an accredited RHI installation, the owner with the
authority to act on behalf of all owners is referred to as the representative owner.
15 http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/energy_act_08/energy_act_08.aspx
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4.6. Where an installation has more than one owner, or the installation is
comprised of more than one plant which have multiple owners, these owners
will need to reach an agreement about who will be the representative owner
nominated to apply and receive the RHI payments. Only one application will
be accepted for any one eligible installation. We may request to see evidence
of the agreement between multiple owners (such as a contract or signed letter
of consent) as part of the accreditation process or as part of an audit.
4.7. Please note that only owners (with the exception of a representative owner or
nominated individual) can receive the RHI. Agents or other third parties will
not be allowed to receive the RHI on behalf of an installation‘s owner.
Installation capacity
4.8. For the purposes of the RHI, the installation capacity will be the total installed
peak heat output capacity of the installation. For most technologies, the
installation capacity should be simple to establish as it will be part of the
information provided by the manufacturer. We will require details of the
installation capacity as part of the accreditation process.
4.9. Where there is no standard information from the manufacturer, e.g. for
bespoke equipment, as part of the accreditation process you may have to
provide us with technical evidence to prove the installation capacity.
Installation capacity for CHP systems
4.10. The Regulations state that an installation‘s capacity is the ―total installed peak
heat output capacity‖ of that installation. For CHP systems, this relates to the
total heat output of the equipment in the form of usable hot liquid or steam,
irrespective of whether heat generated is subsequently used for power
generation or heating.
4.11. For example, where a solid biomass CHP system uses a steam boiler to
generate electricity and subsequently deliver heat to a separate process, the
CHP system‘s capacity would be the total peak heat output capacity of the
boiler(s) which originally generated the superheated steam supplied to the
steam turbine.
4.12. In the example where a biogas CHP plant combusts gas in an engine to
generate power, and the waste heat from this power generation is
subsequently used for space or process heating (in the form of hot water or
steam), the CHP system‘s capacity would be the rated peak heat output
capacity of the heat exchanger that is used to generate the hot water or
steam.
4.13. Please note that heat used to generate electricity is not eligible for RHI
support, please see Chapter Five of this Volume for further details.
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What is an installation?
4.14. The concept of ‗installation‘ is important in the RHI scheme in relation to
working out which equipment must be new or for which you must not have
received a grant.
4.15. An ‗eligible installation‘ is defined in the Regulations as a plant (which includes
any equipment, apparatus or appliance) which meets the eligibility criteria.
The eligibility criteria include those set out in Part 2, Chapter 2 of the
Regulations — which require that eligible installations must ‗generate heat‘
using specified eligible sources of energy and technologies.
4.16. The determination of those items of plant which are integral to the generation
of heat (and which will, therefore, form an eligible installation) will depend on
the particular facts and circumstances of each case.. However, the table below
shows the position which Ofgem will usually adopt in assessing whether
particular items of plant form part of an ‗eligible installation‘ for these
purposes. Our interpretation has taken into account DECC‘s tariff calculations
that were designed to compensate for the additional cost of a renewable heat
technology installation as compared to the cost of a gas installation (fossil fuel
counterfactual).
Table 3: Ofgem‘s interpretation of ‗eligible installation‘
Technology
type
Examples of integral
equipment usually included
in definition of „eligible
installation‟
NB: this list is not exhaustive
„Associated infrastructure‟
usually not included in
definition of „eligible
installation‟
NB: this list is not exhaustive
All heating
installations
(i.e. all
technologies
except
biomethane)
Heat (hot water/ liquid
and steam) meters
Heat distribution system
(e.g. pipes delivering heat to
users, heating controls,
pumps, valves, radiators/
heat distribution heat
exchangers etc.)
Heat storage equipment
Other buildings housing
the plant equipment (e.g.
boiler house)
Foundations
Ground
Source Heat
Pumps
(GSHP)
Ground or water loops
Heat pump unit
Any pumps/ pumping
equipment used within the
ground loop or to transport
water to the external heat
exchanger
Evaporator/condenser
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Solar
thermal
Solar collectors
(evacuated tubes, flat
plates)
Pipes and pump
circulating between collector
and heat exchanger
Associated roof fixings
Solid
biomass
plants
(including
solid biomass
contained in
municipal
waste)
Boiler (e.g. ignition
equipment, heat exchanger,
electrical wiring and
controls, combustion
chamber, grate, air control,
housing/ container)
Pipework required for the
effective start up and shut
down of the plant (e.g. back
end loop/ valve)
Fuel feed equipment
(e.g. auger, moving floor
etc) where these are likely
to be integral to the
operation of the plant
Flue gas treatment
equipment (where it is
different to the equipment
required for a comparable
gas installation)
Fuel storage equipment
(e.g. fuel hopper) **
Ancillary fossil fuel
equipment (e.g. gas start-up
equipment)
Fuel delivery, processing
(e.g. chipping/ drying) and
preparation equipment
Fuel store housing (e.g.
fuel storage sheds, bunkers)
Flue stack***
Biogas heat
generation
Boiler (e.g. ignition
equipment, heat exchanger,
electrical wiring and
controls, combustion
chamber, air control,
housing/ container)
Exhaust gas treatment
equipment and flaring etc.
Biogas production plant,
including the digestion/
gasification/ pyrolysis system
and ancillaries, any feedstock
feeding equipment, biogas
processing equipment
Feedstock treatment
equipment (e.g.
pasteurisation)
Digestate/ char treatment
equipment
Biomethane Equipment required to
convert raw biogas into
biomethane suitable for
injection (e.g. where
appropriate - CO2 and
oxygen removal,
pressurisation equipment,
propanation, odorant
equipment)
Equipment required to
measure the energy content
and volume of gas entering
the network
Any flaring equipment
Biogas production plant
(see biogas for list)
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CHP (for
solid
biomass,
biogas and
geothermal)*
Equipment as specified
for relevant technology
above
Equipment as specified for
relevant technology above
Renewable electricity
generation equipment
(including any gas turbines,
internal combustion engines
or sterling engines used to
generate electricity, and
turbines in a steam turbine
facility), other than
equipment used to generate
hot water / steam at the plant
(the boiler – as defined in the
‗equipment included‘ column)
Geothermal These will be determined on a case-by-case basis, based on the
approach outlined above.
* CHP plants have a specific regulation in reference to what is classed as ‗new‘ for
the RHI. See ‗New plant‘ section for details.
** Please note that in the case of fuel storage equipment such as hoppers for
biomass boilers, we would expect at least one hopper to be new (to reflect the fact
storage equipment was anticipated in the tariff) – but it is acceptable for the
applicant to also have additional storage equipment in place which is not new.
*** Please note that although flue stacks would not be required to be new for RHI
purposes, any new plant requires a health and safety assessment of the flue stack
design (irrespective of the RHI)
RHI interaction with publicly funded grants
4.17. The Regulations state that:
o RHI support will only be available for an eligible installation if no grant
from public funds has been paid or will be paid in respect of any of the
costs of purchasing or installing the eligible installation, or
o where a grant from public funds has been paid for an eligible installation
that was completed and first commissioned on or after 15 July 2009 but
before the date the Regulations come into force, it has been paid back to
the grant-making body or person.
4.18. In practice, this means:
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o we can accredit an installation only where the purpose of the grant is, or
will be, to meet costs other than the costs of purchasing or installing the
installation; and
o an installation will not be accredited where a grant (of any value) has
been, or will be, paid in relation to the costs of purchasing and installing
it, if it was completed and first commissioned between 15 July 2009 and
the date the Regulations come into force and that grant has not been
repaid in full to the person who made it.
4.19. It is important to note that, if public funding is received in the form of a grant
for the purchase or installation costs of an installation that is commissioned
after the date the Regulations come into force, the installation will not be
eligible for RHI support and cannot become eligible by paying the public
funding back.
4.20. A grant from ―public funds‖ can be a grant made by a public authority or by a
person who is not a public authority but who is distributing funds on behalf of
a public authority. Our consideration of whether or not a grant has been made
from ―public funds‖ will include grants from Europe, central or devolved
governments and public authorities at regional or local level.
4.21. Ofgem will take a commonsense approach to determining what constitutes a
―public authority‖.
4.22. Ofgem will interpret the ‗costs of purchasing and installing an eligible
installation‘ as including the costs of purchasing and installing any equipment,
apparatus or appliance which, in accordance with the ‗What is an Installation?‘
section above, it considers to form part of the eligible installation. On this
basis, we do not consider that such costs would generally extend to costs
incurred in purchasing and installing plant which is not needed in order to
generate heat.
4.23. During the accreditation process, all prospective participants will be asked if
public funds have been or will be received for an installation. If you declare
that a grant has been, or will be, received (whether or not you consider the
grant to be for the costs of purchasing or installing the installation) we may
contact you for further information.
4.24. If you want to decline the grant offer, or pay back a grant that has already
been received for the purchase or installation costs of an installation, to allow
your application for the RHI to be considered, please contact the grant-making
body or person directly. Before we can accredit your installation, you will need
to provide evidence to us either that the offer has been declined or the grant
has been repaid in full.
4.25. Participants have an ongoing obligation to notify us if any of the information
provided in support of their application for accreditation was incorrect. This
includes information relating to the receipt of public funding.
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4.26. If we become aware at a later date that the information provided at
accreditation in relation to grants was incorrect, we will consider taking
enforcement action against the participant. Where we find that incorrect
information was provided intentionally with the purpose of defrauding the
scheme, we will refer the matter to the appropriate authorities. Please see
Volume Two, Chapter Ten of this Guidance for further information on our
approach to non-compliance within the scheme.
Date of completion of installation and first commissioning must
be on or after 15 July 2009
4.27. Plants are only eligible for accreditation if their installation was completed and
they were first commissioned on or after 15 July 2009. Please see below for
the exception to this rule for CHP plants applicable in certain circumstances.
4.28. An installation will not be eligible if the installation of the plant was completed
before this date, but the plant was commissioned afterwards. Ofgem will not
consider applications for accreditation for installations where the installation of
the plant was completed or the plant was commissioned prior to this date. We
may ask for evidence of the date your plant installation was completed (eg
purchase receipts) and of the commissioning date of your installation (eg a
commissioning certificate). Please also note that we may ask for a photograph
of your installation taken at the time it was installed for the purposes of
accreditation checks and audit.
4.29. CHP installations are an exception to the requirements set out above. If a
plant, which was previously generating electricity only using solid biomass or
biogas, was first commissioned as a CHP system on a date (the conversion
date) which is on or after 15 July 2009, Ofgem will treat these installations as
if they are new plants installed and first commissioned on the date of
conversion (irrespective of the date on which they started generating
electricity).
4.30. For avoidance of doubt, a plant commissioned before 15 July 2009 cannot be
decommissioned and recommissioned after that date in order to render it
eligible. This is because the regulations require that it was first commissioned
after this date.
Transitional arrangements: installations commissioned between 15 July
2009 and the commencement of the scheme
4.31. Installations that were installed and first commissioned on or after 15 July
2009 but before the start date of the RHI are eligible for the scheme, but have
to meet all the eligibility criteria for the RHI just as with installations
commissioned after the start of the scheme. This includes the microgeneration
requirements as discussed below in section ‗Microgeneration Requirements
(installations of 45kWth or less)‘ and the metering requirements which are
discussed in Chapter Seven, ‗Metering eligibility requirements‘.
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4.32. These installations will be eligible for the same 20 year period of support as
for those installations commissioned after the start of the scheme, starting
from the date of accreditation (which cannot be prior to the start of the
scheme). For avoidance of doubt, please note that payments will not be
backdated to the date of first commissioning.
New plant
4.33. Your plant must be new to be eligible for the RHI. Ofgem interprets this
requirement as applying to all of the ‗plant‘ which can be regarded as
constituting an ‗eligible installation‘; that is, any equipment, apparatus or
appliance which is necessary for, and integral to, the generation of heat using
eligible sources of energy and technologies. For guidance on our approach to
determining the scope of plant which can be considered integral to the
generation of heat, please refer to Table 3 in the ‗What is an installation?‘
section.
4.34. We will interpret ‗new‘ to mean plants that are new and have not been
previously used. We will accept plant as being new if it has not been
previously used before being installed and first commissioned. Converted
equipment will not be eligible for the RHI. Upon request, you should be able
to provide us with delivery notes or purchase receipts as evidence that your
plant is new.
Location of the plant
4.35. Accreditation is assigned to the installation at the location that is provided at
application. This is not transferable.
4.36. The relocation of a plant will render the plant ineligible; this is because to be
eligible for the RHI, the plant must have been installed and first commissioned
on or after 15 July 2009 and have been new at the time of installation.
4.37. However, a plant can be removed from in situ for maintenance or minor
repairs, turned back on and reconnected to the heating system as long as the
plant remains at the location for which it had been assigned accreditation.
Removing a plant from in situ for these specified purposes will not be
considered a relocation of the plant. Should your plant require major repairs
or maintenance that must be conducted at a separate location from the plant‘s
accredited location, you must notify Ofgem before removing the plant from its
accredited location.
4.38. A plant commissioned before 15 July 2009 cannot become eligible by
recommissioning after that date
Eligibility for CHP plants
4.39. At the conversion date, a heat exchanger and associated equipment must
have been added to an existing electricity-only plant (and used for eligible
heat uses) for a CHP plant to be considered new. For more information on the
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CHP conversion date, see the ‗Date of completion of installation and first
commissioning must be on or after 15 July 2009‘ section above.
Installations heating one single domestic premises are
ineligible
4.40. Renewable heating installations serving a single private residential premises
are currently not eligible for the RHI. This includes single renewable heating
units installed by a company, private landlord or registered social landlord, in
one or more individual premises (but does not cover district heating systems
where multiple dwellings are served by a central renewable heating unit). The
Government aims to introduce support for single domestic premises in phase
two. In the meantime, prospective domestic participants may wish to consider
applying for the RHPP, if the installations are 45kWth or less. Further
information about the RHPP can be found at the Energy Saving Trust RHPP
website16 or www.decc.gov.uk/RHI.
4.41. Only installations that provide heat to non-domestic premises or multiple
domestic premises are eligible for the RHI in 2011. Domestic premises are
defined in the Regulations as ‗single, self contained premises used wholly or
mainly as a private residential dwelling where the fabric of the building has
not been significantly adapted for non-residential use.‘17
4.42. For example, an eligible installation could serve:
a single, non-domestic premises, e.g. a hairdresser
multiple non-domestic premises, e.g. a shopping centre
multiple non-domestic and domestic premises (mixed use), e.g. office space
and residential flats
multiple domestic premises, e.g. district heating supplying a block of flats.
4.43. In interpreting the definition of ‗domestic premises‘ and ‗single self-contained
premises‘ we shall take into account whether those premises are treated as
separate and self-contained premises for Council Tax banding purposes18.
Accordingly, where a premises consists of a main property and other buildings
such as outhouses, pool-houses, lean-to‘s etc. which are together treated as
one self-contained unit in single occupation for Council Tax, this would be
likely to be treated as a ‗single self-contained‘ premises for RHI purposes.
Where such premises are ‗used wholly or mainly as a private residential
16 http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Sell-your-own-
energy/Renewable-Heat-Premium-Payment
17 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 15 (2)
18 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/selfContainedUnits.html
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dwelling where the fabric of the building has not been significantly adapted for
non-residential use‘, the premises will therefore be treated as ‗domestic‘ for
the RHI. Accordingly, where heat is generated for use solely in these
premises, that heat would not be eligible for RHI support as it is ‗for the use of
one domestic premises.‘
4.44. Similarly, where premises comprise a main property and adjoining property or
properties (such as annexes, gatehouses, workers cottages etc.) which are
themselves treated as self-contained units for Council Tax banding, each of
these buildings will also be treated as ‗single self-contained‘ premises for RHI
purposes. Therefore, if each is ‗used wholly or mainly as a private residential
dwelling where the fabric of the building has not been significantly adapted for
non-residential use‘, each will be treated as a separate ‗domestic premises‘
under the RHI. On this basis, if each of these buildings is served by its own
boiler, these boilers would not be eligible for support as each boiler would be
generating heat ‗solely for the use of one domestic premises.‘ However, if a
single boiler provided heat to two or more self-contained units, this boiler
would be treated as a district heating system serving multiple domestic
premises and would be eligible for the RHI, subject to all other eligibility
criteria being met.
4.45. Non-domestic premises will be business rateable, rather than being subject to
council tax, although some properties, such as agricultural buildings, are
exempt from paying these rates under Schedule 5 of the Local Government
Finance Act 1988.19
4.46. In a situation of ‗a private residential dwelling where the fabric of the building‘
has ‗been significantly adapted for non-residential use‘, the Council Tax officer
may decide that this makes all or part of the property business rateable.
Therefore your premises may be viewed as non-domestic and eligible for the
RHI.
4.47. Further guides to help you understand your council tax banding or business
rating are available from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publication
pages20 on:
business rates21
working from home and business rates22
holiday lets23
19 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/41/schedule/5
20 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/index.html
21 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/businessRatesAnIntro.html
22 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/workingFromHome.html
23 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/holidayCottagesGuide.html
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guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation (B&Bs)24
multi-occupied homes25
4.48. Enquiries on your standing in this regard should be directed to your local
Council Tax officer, who may also be able to help you to provide evidence if
required (multiple council tax bills or business rates bills for premises on the
heating system will usually suffice), or directed to the VOA.
4.49. If you require more detail, there is an extended legal guide to the rules used
to set Council Tax bands ‗Chapter 5 of the Council Tax Manual: Disaggregation
of properties‘26 which deals with aspects such as outbuildings not in different
occupation, self-contained units etc. In summary, for an installation to be
eligible as serving non single domestic premises you must be able to
demonstrate that the heating system is not solely providing heat to single
premises covered by one Council Tax band. The installation will still be subject
to all other eligibility criteria.
Heat delivery medium
4.50. The installation must use liquid or steam as a medium to deliver heat to the
eligible use. It is acceptable for the final eligible use itself to heat air (e.g.
radiators) provided that there is a liquid or steam heat delivery system
connecting the RHI installation and the eligible use. Direct air heating is not
eligible.
Microgeneration requirements (installations of 45kWth or less)
4.51. The Regulations provide that installations of 45kWth or less from certain
technologies will be required to be backed up with certification under the
Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) 27 or an ―equivalent scheme‖.
4.52. Table 4 below sets out which technologies require MCS certification. Where
this applies, both of the following certification requirements will need to be
met:
the plant must be certified under the MCS or an equivalent scheme, and
the plant‘s installer must have been certified under the MCS28 or an equivalent
scheme at the time of installation.
24 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/guestHousesandBasicAccommGuide.html
25 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/CouncilTax/multiOccupiedHomes.html
26 http://www.mycounciltax.gov.uk/instructions/chapters/counciltax/council_tax_man_pn/m-
ct-man-pn5.html
27 Details of which are available at www.microgenerationcertification.org.
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Table 4: Which technologies require MCS certification and which do not:
Technologies requiring MCS or
equivalent scheme certification for
installations of 45kWth or less
Technologies of 45kWth or less not
requiring MCS certification
Ground Source Heat Pumps Biogas for combustion
Water source heat pumps Biomethane for injection into the grid
Solid biomass Deep geothermal
Solar thermal Solid biomass in municipal waste
combustion
4.53. Equivalent schemes include Solar Keymark29 for solar thermal installations, or
any other scheme accredited under European Standard EN4501130 (which
certifies microgeneration products and installers in accordance with consistent
standards). When applying for support, applicants will be asked for details of
MCS or equivalent scheme certification. If applicants intend to apply using an
MCS ‗equivalent‘ scheme, they must prove to Ofgem that both the installer
and technology have been certified by a scheme which meets the definition.
4.54. The Regulations specify that MCS or equivalent certification will not be
required in the following two scenarios:
if the combined installation capacity is more than 45kWth e.g. where a
heating system using the same source of energy and technology, e.g.
biomass, is made up of 2 x 25kW biomass boilers, then the two boilers will not
need to be MCS or equivalent certified or MCS or equivalent installed if each
component plant in the system satisfies the eligibility criteria referred to in
regulation 14(3) of the Regulations and neither is already an accredited RHI
installation
if ‗additional capacity‘ of less than 45kWth is added31 to an existing RHI
heating system, the additional capacity uses the same source of energy and
technology and takes the total installed capacity over 45kWth, e.g. where a
participant already has an accredited 25kWth ground source heat pump
(GSHP) and applies for a second 25kWth GSHP which is connected to the
same heating system, then MCS or equivalent scheme certification will not be
required for the second GSHP.
28 Ibid
29 Please note that Solar Keymark certifies products, but not installation companies.
30 ISBN 0580294153. Copies can be obtained from the British Standards Institution at
www.bsigroup.com.
31 And first commissioned within 12 months of the first commissioning date of the original
plant.
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Other requirements
District and community heating
4.55. District heating — such as a central boiler for an apartment building, or a
network of pipes delivering heat from a central installation to a number of
local households or businesses — will be eligible for the RHI where the heat is
produced by an eligible installation. District heating will be treated in the same
way as any other RHI installation of that technology and fuel type which is
generating eligible heat. There is no uplift for district heating installations. For
example, a district heating system served by a 600kWth biomass boiler will be
treated the same way as a 600kWth boiler heating a single building in terms
of RHI eligibility and support levels. District heating, where more than one
building is being served, will be subject to the ‗complex‘ metering
requirements as described in Chapter Seven.
4.56. Please see the ‗Inspections and access to third party premises‘ section in
Chapter Two of this Volume for our approach to instances where the eligible
heat use occurs on third party premises not owned or controlled by the
participant. We may also require you to provide evidence that domestic
premises receiving heat from the heat distribution system are domestic and
do not have ineligible uses.
Fossil fuelled and dual fuelled biomass plant
4.57. The Government‘s policy is clear that no fossil fuel heat is to be supported,
even in relation to channelling waste heat, as the role of the RHI is to promote
progress towards targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive. Where a
fossil fuelled plant is present, it may need to be metered separately and must
not contribute towards the heat generation meter readings of the RHI eligible
plant (please see Chapter Seven for further information on meter placement).
The fossil fuel derived element of any heat will not be eligible for support
under the RHI. For example, heat generated by a solar thermal plant linked to
a gas boiler would be eligible, so long as the gas boiler was metered
separately and excluded from the heat for which RHI support was claimed.
Component plants which use renewable and fossil-fuels together in a single
boiler and which are not capable of separate metering are not eligible for the
RHI.
4.58. Biomass plants must be designed and installed to use renewable fuels as their
only primary fuel but have specific permitted uses for fossil fuels in the same
boiler. For further details, please see the ‗Ancillary and contaminated fuels‘
section in Chapter Five of this volume.
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5. Technology specific criteria
Chapter Summary
This Chapter discusses the technologies and accompanying fuels eligible for the RHI,
as well as additional eligibility criteria specific to a technology. A table of currently
ineligible technologies has been included for ease of reference. Please see the
following Chapter Six for further information on eligible and ineligible heat uses.
Supported technologies and fuels
5.1. To be eligible under the RHI, except for producers of biomethane, an
installation must generate heat using one of the eligible technologies. Chapter
Four discusses the general eligibility criteria of the scheme. This Chapter sets
out the additional eligibility criteria that are specific to a particular technology.
Solar thermal
5.2. The total installation capacity of a solar thermal installation must be lower
than 200 kWth. For further information on how to determine your installation
capacity, please see the ‗Installation Capacity‘ section in Chapter Four.
5.3. Only solar thermal installations comprising liquid filled flat plate or evacuated
tube solar collectors will be eligible for RHI support. Other types of solar
thermal technologies, such as solar wall or transpired solar thermal panels,
solar thermal parabolic and trough collectors are not eligible under the RHI.
5.4. Any solar thermal installations of 45 kWth or less must be MCS certified under
the MCS or equivalent scheme. See section ‗Microgeneration requirements
(installations of 45kWth or less)‘ in Chapter Four for further information.
5.5. For clarity, hybrid solar photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems will be eligible for
RHI support in respect of their heat output only, provided that the thermal
output of the system is separately rated in kWth, there is separate thermal
metering and the solar thermal aspect of the technology is either a liquid flat
plate or evacuated tube type system.
Geothermal energy
5.6. Geothermal systems at all scales, including CHP systems, will be eligible for
support under the RHI. Geothermal systems are defined as those generating
heat using naturally occurring energy in the form of heat located and
extracted at least 500 metres below the surface of solid earth. Installations
extracting naturally-occurring energy from the ground at a depth of less than
500m will be classed as a ground source heat pump for the purposes of the
RHI and must meet the heat pump eligibility requirements.
5.7. There is no requirement for geothermal systems to be MCS certified.
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Heat pumps
General eligibility
5.8. Heat pumps of all scales that utilise heat sourced from naturally occurring
solar energy stored within the ground or surface water are eligible for the RHI,
providing that the heat is subsequently transferred by liquid or steam.32,33 We
refer to such heat pumps here as ‗ground source heat pumps‘ and ‗water
source heat pumps‘ respectively.34
5.9. Heat pumps generating heat from naturally-occurring energy located and
extracted from at least 500m below the surface of solid earth are classed as
geothermal installations for the purposes of the RHI; please see the
‗Geothermal energy‘ section above for information pertaining to such
installations.
5.10. We understand certain heating systems may utilise inter-seasonal heat
storage, where excess naturally occurring summer heat is collected and
transferred to a ground based thermal store for use in winter. Ground source
heat pumps then extract this heat during winter months, effectively increasing
ground source heat pump coefficient of performance as the ground has been
pre-warmed. Ofgem will consider such systems as still extracting heat from a
natural source, provided that fossil fuelled systems have not been used to pre-
heat a thermal store. Additionally Ofgem will not make RHI payments for heat
that is generated and transferred to a ground based thermal store, since the
heat is not used within a ‗building‘ (a key eligibility criteria of the RHI).
5.11. Air source heat pumps, including air-to-water and air-to-air heat pumps are
not eligible for the RHI in 2011. Exhaust air heat pumps are also ineligible for
the RHI. For a brief description of each of the different types of heat pump,
please refer to DECC‘s RHI Policy Document.35
5.12. Both ground and water source heat pumps with an installation capacity of up
to and including 45kWth must be certified under the MCS or an equivalent
scheme. For further information about MCS certification, see section
‗Microgeneration requirements (installations of 45kWth or less)‘ in Chapter
Four.
32 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 8(a)
33 This includes open loop heat pumps.
34 The Environment Agency‘s ‗Environmental good practice guide for ground source heating
and cooling‘ can be found at http://publications.environment-
agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0311BTPA-E-E.pdf
35DECC RHI Policy Document, March 2011 at
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/What%20we%20do/UK%20energy%20supply/Energy%2
0mix/Renewable%20energy/policy/renewableheat/1387-renewable-heat-incentive.pdf
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Heat pumps with integrated electrical immersion
5.13. Heat pumps provided as a single unit with an integrated electrical immersion
heater are eligible for the RHI. The primary functions of the electrical
immersion should be to provide top up heat as required during high demand
periods or boosting hot water temperature for the thermal disinfection of
legionella bacteria spores as required.
5.14. Where the heat pump installation has an integrated immersion heater, the
applicant will need to declare this to Ofgem within his or her application. In
these cases, where practical, the applicant will be expected to account for the
electrical input to the immersion heater and deduct this. Electrical
consumption of an integrated immersion could be metered separately or
calculated through logging its hours of use via the heat pump control unit and
multiplying by the rating of the immersion. Where this is not possible, the
applicant may need to measure overall electrical input. Please contact Ofgem
for further information where you have an integrated immersion heater. We
will keep the approach to integrated immersion heaters under review in the
light of experience during the operation of the scheme.
5.15. For larger scale, e.g. 20kWth capacity individual units, we do not anticipate
widespread use of heat pump units with integrated immersion heaters. Where
these are proposed to be used we will seek a clear explanation from the
applicant why an integrated immersion is specifically required for the
installation.
5.16. No heat supplied to a heating system from a non integrated electric immersion
heater will receive RHI tariff payments. Where a non-integrated immersion
heater is utilised heat meters should be located suitably to exclude any output
from the immersion heater.
Coefficient of performance
5.17. In addition to the general eligibility criteria outlined above, the Regulations
require both ground and water source heat pumps to have a coefficient of
performance (COP) of at least 2.9.36 The coefficient of performance is defined
in the Regulations as ‗the ratio of the amount of heating or cooling in kilowatts
provided by a heat pump to the kilowatts of power consumed by the heat
pump‘.37
5.18. The policy rationale for this criterion is set out by the Government in the RHI
Policy Document, which explains that this is ‗a proxy for the EU standard for
renewable energy measured. To avoid introducing a potentially complex
36 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 8(c)
37 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2, definition of ―coefficient of performance‖
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system in advance of the Commission‘s guidelines (on how the seasonal
performance factor should be measured), rather than referring to usable heat
or seasonal performance, the RHI will require a COP of 2.9‘.38
5.19. To ensure only heat pumps that meet the required COP are accredited to the
scheme, we will ask for a statement of the heat pump‘s COP and supporting
evidence as part of the RHI accreditation process. Please see the ‗Evidence of
COP required during application for RHI accreditation‘ section below which
outlines the types of supporting evidence that will be acceptable.
5.20. If you are applying for accreditation and your installation is comprised of more
than one heat pump unit then please first see the ‗How to apply when you
have multiple plants‘ section in Chapter Two of this Volume for more
information on how to determine whether you should apply for accreditation
for each plant separately or as a single installation. Where (as per Chapter
Two) each heat pump unit is to be treated as a component plant making up a
single installation for the purposes of the RHI, then the COP must be provided
for each different make and model of unit comprising the installation as part
of the accreditation process. As each component plant must meet the
eligibility criteria, each unit will need to have a COP of 2.9 or above for the
installation to be eligible. Where all the units comprising an installation are of
the same make and model, we will only ask you to provide this information
once.
Evidence of COP required during application for RHI accreditation
5.21. We expect participants to provide evidence that the COP has been determined
in accordance with accepted industry good practice and is determined using
design conditions representative of the actual installation ground loop inlet
and distribution outlet temperatures for the heat pump installation i.e. its
operational point.
5.22. For electrically-driven heat pumps where a natural refrigerant is not used, the
EN 14511 standard sets out appropriate conditions under which the COP
should be determined. The design ground loop inlet and distribution outlet
temperatures should also be stated as part of your application for
accreditation. The COP figure stated should be as per the rating result
conducted to the closest appropriate rating temperature conditions available
within table 7 of the EN 15411 standard. The most suitable location to declare
this information in your application will be at the point where you will be asked
to provide any further pertinent information.
5.23. For other types of heat pump where no European Standard has been issued,
we would expect participants to provide details of the test conditions under
which the stated COP has been determined, including reference to any
industry standard or guidance which has been adhered to, and the basis on
which the participant considers this approach indicative of good practice.
38 DECC Renewable Heat Incentive policy document, p36
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Relevant industry standards for these purposes may include, for example, test
conditions for gas-driven heat pumps as set out in the ECA Energy Technology
Criteria List or as recommended by the Japanese Standards Association.
Where more than one standard could be used, we would expect participants to
use that which is most appropriate for the standard operating conditions of the
heating system to which the installation will supply heat.
5.24. A ‗performance curve‘ or table for COP at various rating conditions, produced
under EN 15411 test conditions would be considered suitable evidence to
verify the COP figure stated within the RHI application. This information is
often included within manufacturer‘s technical specifications for the heat pump
unit.
5.25. In addition to the specific evidence set out below, we expect participants to
retain evidence relating to the heat pump‘s design and installation: for
example, commissioning data.
Suitable forms of evidence for COP for electrically driven heat pumps
5.26. Many heat pumps are sold as a packaged unit, comprising the compressor,
condenser, expansion valve and evaporator. In this case, the manufacturer of
the packaged unit will be considered as the heat pump‘s manufacturer for RHI
purposes.
5.27. For packaged electrically-driven heat pumps, participants will be required to
state the COP of the heat pump as part of the accreditation process, and
provide evidence to support this. Typically, such evidence would be one of
the below:
evidence that the appliance is listed on the MCS list or the Enhanced Capital
Allowance (ECA) Energy Technology List;
copy of manufacturer‘s documentation, stating the heat pump make and
model and the associated COP, tested in accordance with EN 14511;
copy of manufacturer‘s test report, stating the heat pump make and model
and the associated COP, tested in accordance with EN 14511;
copy of independent third party test report, stating the heat pump make and
model and the associated COP, tested in accordance with EN 14511.
Suitable forms of evidence for gas-driven heat pumps
5.28. Gas-driven heat pumps are also eligible for the RHI. For such heat pumps,
appropriate evidence to support the declaration of COP will encompass
any item listed above for electricity-driven heat pumps (replacing the
requirement of testing COP in accordance with EN 14511 by the relevant test
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conditions including reference to any industry standard or guidance which has
been adhered to), or
design calculations by the manufacturer or installer setting out the expected
heat pump performance which clearly states the heat pump COP and provides
technical justification for this figure, including for the test conditions at which
the COP was calculated
5.29. For some gas-driven heat pumps, manufacturers may provide documentary
evidence of the primary energy ratio (PER) instead of the COP. The primary
energy ratio is defined as the ratio of the energy provided to the heating
system, usually as hot water, to the amount of primary energy (e.g. fuel)
used by the heat pump. To calculate the COP in accordance with the definition
in the Regulations, participants will need to convert the PER to a COP using
the following formula:
Primary Energy Ratio / engine efficiency = Coefficient of performance39
5.30. For example, if the heat pump engine has an efficiency of 35 per cent and a
PER as declared by the manufacturer of 1.3, the equivalent COP figure would
be 3.7.
5.31. For gas-driven heat pumps where the manufacturer‘s documentation specifies
the PER only, this may be provided as evidence for the COP value declared.
We may ask participants to provide evidence to support the engine efficiency
figure used in their calculation of the COP. Participants will need to enter the
COP figure on the Ofgem RHI register as part of their application for
accreditation.
Suitable forms of evidence for bespoke heat pumps
5.32. For bespoke heat pumps, i.e. those where the constituent components are
tailored by the manufacturer or installer to meet the client‘s needs, there may
be no standard technical documentation to evidence the installation‘s COP and
installation capacity. For these installations participants should provide a copy
of either:
design / modelling calculations or commissioning data reflecting the actual
design conditions of the installation, signed off by the manufacturer or
installer setting out the expected heat pump COP and installation capacity.
This should clearly state the heat pump COP and provide technical justification
for this figure, including justification for the conditions at which the COP was
calculated, or
39http://www.heatpumpcentre.org/en/aboutheatpumps/heatpumpperformance/Sidor/default.a
spx
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documentation from a recognised test house stating the heat pump COP at
the design conditions of the installation and providing a justification for this,
including a statement of the test conditions at which the COP was determined.
Reversible heat pumps
5.33. It is common, especially at the larger scale, for ground and water source heat
pumps to run in reverse in the warmer months to generate cooling. Such
reversible ground and water source heat pumps are eligible for the RHI, but
only the heating generated is eligible for RHI support. As set out in the RHI
Policy Document,40 any cooling generated by operating the heat pump in
reverse is not eligible for RHI support. Therefore, heat pumps that will only be
used for generating cooling are not eligible for the RHI.
5.34. In accordance with the Regulations, participants must therefore ensure that
their metering arrangement allows them to only measure heat generated, and
where appropriate discount any cooling generated by running the heat pump
in reverse.41 We may ask for evidence that this is the case, either as part of
the accreditation process or at any time once an installation has been
accredited. Further information on meter placement for reversible heat pumps
can be found in Appendix One of this Volume, ‗Meter placement examples.‘
Determination of heat pump installation capacity
5.35. The installation capacity of a heat pump installation should be determined
based on the intended design conditions (operational point). The relevant
temperature conditions of the operational point should be stated in the
application.
5.36. For packaged heat pump units the heating output (kW) can be evidenced
through provision of a manufacturer‘s technical specification highlighting
heating output at different operational points. The heating output for the heat
pump unit, or each individual unit where multiple plant are present, should be
calculated based on the nearest operational conditions for that unit as tested
by the manufacturer. A ‗performance curve‘ or table for heating capacity at
various rating conditions, produced under EN 15411 test conditions would be
considered suitable evidence to verify the installation capacity figure stated
within the RHI application. This information is often included within
manufacturer‘s technical specifications for the heat pump unit.
5.37. Where an installation comprises multiple heat pump units and (as per Chapter
Two ‗How to apply when you have multiple plants‘) these are to be treated as
component plants making up a single installation, then the overall ‗installation
capacity‘ will be the sum of the individual peak heat output of each unit.
40 DECC RHI Policy Document, March 2011, p36.
41 Regulations, Part 4, Chapter 3, Regulation 35(3)
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5.38. For bespoke equipment, as part of the accreditation process you may have to
provide us with technical evidence e.g. design data or simulation results, to
verify the installation capacity stated.
Biomass
General biomass criteria
5.39. In addition to the general eligibility criteria, plants burning biomass, or biogas
derived from biomass, must meet certain eligibility criteria specific to the
technology type.
5.40. Biomass is defined as ‗material, other than fossil fuel or peat, which is, or is
derived directly or indirectly from, plant matter, animal matter, fungi or
algae‘.42 Examples of fuels that often meet this definition include (but are not
limited to):
Wood logs, chips and pellets
Straw and agricultural residues
Food waste
Paper/ pulp residues from the paper manufacturing process
Biomass residues from the food processing industry
Sewage sludge
5.41. When referring to solid biomass or biogas produced from biomass, we mean
that the fuel is, or is derived from, the material in the above definition.
Solid biomass boilers
5.42. Whereas some technologies have an upper limit on capacity to be eligible
under the RHI, solid biomass boilers are eligible at all scales.
42 Act, s. 100(3)
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‘Solid’
5.43. Fuels need to be classed as ‗solid‘ to be eligible for accreditation under this
technology. If the fuel is gas, it would be eligible under the biogas technology
category. Technologies using liquid fuel are not eligible.
5.44. ‗Wet‘ fuels such as food waste could still be considered solids (i.e. where solids
are contained in water).
5.45. Where there is doubt about fuels which could be either solid or liquid, we will
consider liquids as including the fuels listed in paragraph 2.3 of the
‗Communication from the Commission on the practical implementation of the
EU biofuels and bioliquids sustainability scheme and on counting rules for
biofuels‘.43 Liquids therefore include viscous liquids such as waste cooking oil,
liquid animal fats, palm oil, crude tall oil and tall oil pitch. We will also include
fuels with similar properties to these as liquids.
5.46. We would consider the state of the fuel at the heat generating plant in
determining whether the fuel is a solid or a liquid. For example, if solid
biomass is melted before it enters the heat generating plant (using the
definition of ‗eligible installation‘ in section ‗What is an installation‘ in Chapter
Four above), and thus enters the heat generating plant as a liquid, then we
would generally consider this to be a liquid. Equally, where a fuel enters the
plant in a solid state, we would generally consider this to be a solid.
Solid biomass as ‘primary fuel source’
5.47. The Regulations require that to be eligible, a biomass boiler must be
‗specifically designed and installed to use solid biomass as its only primary fuel
source‘. This means that boilers capable of operating effectively when using
coal, oil, plastic waste or other fossil fuels are ineligible, as are dual-fuel or co-
firing fossil fuel/biomass boilers. See the ‗Requirements for plants of 45kWth
and under‘ and ‗Solid biomass plants above 45kWth‘ sections below for
information on how applicants should demonstrate this requirement.
General documents to keep
5.48. It will be a condition of accreditation that all biomass and biogas participants
must keep planning permission documents, environmental applications and
permits required under other legislation (such as air quality legislation, the
Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 or the
Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000). We will
generally not require these at the accreditation stage, but we may ask for
them as a follow-up to verify details provided about the boiler, such as the
fuel(s) the boiler is designed to run on.
43 Available at http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:160:0008:0016:EN:PDF
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Heat medium
5.49. A solid biomass installation must include a boiler to be eligible for the RHI. The
Regulations provide that the installation‘s heat must be transferred through
liquid or steam, and this liquid or steam must be metered (see Chapter Seven
of this volume for further information on this requirement). If the installation
produces any direct air heating (such as from a stove), the installation may
still be eligible if only the hot water component (e.g. from a ‗back boiler‘) is
metered. However, the installation would still need to meet the solid biomass
as ‗primary fuel source‘ outlined above.
Requirements for plants of 45kWth and under
5.50. Biomass plants of 45kWth and below must be certified under MCS or an
equivalent scheme.
5.51. The Regulations do not provide that plants of this scale are permitted to burn
any fossil fuel or biomass contaminated with fossil fuel at the plant (i.e. in the
same boiler). It will therefore be a condition of accreditation that these
biomass plants must use 100 per cent biomass fuels. It is acceptable to have
fossil fuel boilers connected to the same heating system (although heat
generated by fossil fuel boilers is not eligible for the RHI and should not be
included in meter readings of the RHI installation‘s output).
5.52. Plants must meet the solid biomass ‗as primary fuel source‘ definition. MCS
certify that solid biomass products are tested to meet certain standards, but
the product would not automatically meet this definition merely because it has
been certified by MCS.
5.53. To meet the ‗as primary fuel source‘ definition, MCS-certified products at this
scale will need to be tested to the following standards as applicable:
Standards ―BS EN 303-5:1999 Heating boilers - Part 5: Heating boilers for
solid fuels, hand and automatically fired, nominal heat output of up to 300kW.
Terminology, requirements, testing and marking.‖ and ―BS EN 14785:2006 -
Residential space heating appliances fired by wood pellets. Requirements and
test methods.‖ – these will generally be eligible because the stoves/ boilers
tested to this standard and approved by MCS are generally not capable of
operating on ineligible fuels44
Standard ―BS EN 12809:2001+A1:2004 - Residential independent boilers fired
by solid fuel. Nominal heat output up to 50 kW Requirements and test
methods‖ –products produced to this standard would only meet the definition
where the fuel used to test the product was a biomass fuel (as defined in the
standard), rather than the fossil and peat fuels listed in the standard.
44 Pellet stoves would also be required to operate with a back boiler, as outlined above
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Standard ―BS EN 13240:2001+A2:2004 - Room heaters fired by solid fuel.
Requirements and test methods‖ – these products would generally not meet
the eligibility requirements, as we could not be confident that the stove (when
fitted with a back-boiler) is not capable of operating primarily on ineligible
fuels.
5.54. MCS installation companies and product manufacturers are able to provide
advice on what standards each product was tested to. Most biomass products
available have been tested to the BS EN 303-5:1999 standard and so meet
the definition. Applicants will be asked at the accreditation stage to provide us
with the name of the standard to which the product was tested (e.g. BS EN
303-5:1999).
Solid biomass plants above 45kWth
5.55. Solid biomass boilers at this scale must meet the solid biomass ‗as primary
fuel source‘ definition and the applicant must demonstrate that this definition
is met.
5.56. To evidence this, participants must keep documentation related to the
purchase and installation of the plant that demonstrates that the boiler was
‗specifically designed and installed to use solid biomass as its only primary fuel
source‘. We will ask for the relevant pages of these documents to verify
eligibility on a sample basis.
5.57. An example of this evidence is a boiler warranty showing a fuel specification
that clearly shows that the boiler is designed to use biomass as its primary
fuel source, and that fossil fuel is not listed as being a fuel that can be used in
the boiler. This would generally be sufficient to demonstrate that the boiler is
a biomass boiler and meets the definition.
5.58. The manufacturer may also provide a reference in the warranty to detailed
fuel specifications under the CEN/TS 14961:2005 or equivalent wood fuel
standards, which would also generally be sufficient to demonstrate meeting
this requirement.
5.59. Although we would review the requirement on a case-by-case basis, any of
the following documents could be sufficient to demonstrate that this
requirement is met:
Product warranty – where it states that a solid biomass fuel should be used
(e.g. where a warranty refers to an operating manual, and that manual states
that biomass fuels are to be used)
Planning permission/ environmental/ air quality permits from the relevant
planning authority that states that solid biomass fuels should be used, where
that authority has provided documentation stating that it has verified that the
plant meets that permission/ permit
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Test standard – where the boiler was tested to a given standard (e.g. EN 303-
5) and a biomass fuel was used in the test
Construction contract or specification – where a more ‗bespoke‘ plant has
been constructed based on a building or construction specification, and the
client has specified on a contract that the plant is to generate heat from
biomass
5.60. Where no documents from the above list are available to the plant, an
applicant could provide a combination of alternative supporting evidence to
demonstrate that the requirement is met. We would need to assess this
documentation on a case-by-case basis.
5.61. As a guide, some combination of the following could be used as supporting
evidence to demonstrate that the requirement is met (where the
documentation outlined above is not available/sufficient):
Recommendations made in the boiler installation/ operation manual stating
that solid biomass fuels should be used, and non-biomass fuels should not be
Technical evidence of the problems that using non-biomass fuels would cause
to the operation of the plant (e.g. whether any tests have been carried out
with non-biomass fuels, or whether non-biomass fuels have ever been used
and caused problems)
Technical evidence to demonstrate that a plant has been configured to run on
biomass rather than fossil fuel (e.g. type of grate)
Other evidence demonstrating that the plant was not designed and installed to
use a fuel other than biomass as its primary fuel source (where the above has
not been sufficient evidence)
Insurance – where the building insurance states what kind of boiler is installed
(and that this boiler operates on solid biomass)
5.62. Where the boiler has a similar configuration to fossil fuel (e.g. coal) boilers,
we would consider this a factor against the likelihood that the boiler was
designed only for biomass, and we may require stronger supporting evidence
in these cases.
Ancillary and contaminated fuels
5.63. Although the RHI is designed to support solid biomass fuels, there are
allowable uses of fossil-derived fuels to generate heat. In solid biomass plants
above 45kW, fossil fuels are permitted for ‗ancillary purposes‘, and solid
biomass fuels contaminated with fossil fuels are permitted (e.g. wood which
has been painted, and municipal waste containing plastic). But these uses are
only allowed up to certain levels. These uses, how they are measured and
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what evidence you need to keep on an ongoing basis, are outlined in Volume
Two, Chapter Four.
5.64. For plants using these fossil-derived fuels above 1MW, we ask for applicants
to complete fuel measurement and sampling questionnaires. These need to be
provided to us and agreed as part of the accreditation process. The Fuel
Measurement and Sampling Questionnaires can be found on the RHI website45
and more information on how to complete the questionnaire can be found in
Volume Two of the Guidance. Non submission of the FMS Questionnaire will
result in a delay in reviewing your application and subsequently a delay in
making any RHI payments. We will agree FMS procedures on a case-by-case
basis according to the setup and condition of each plant.
Future Emissions Limits
5.65. In March 2011, the Government announced information of introducing
emission limits of 30 g/GJ particulate matter and 150g/GJ for NOx on
combustion of biomass boilers below 20MWth. These emissions limits do not
currently apply but we expect them to be introduced in phase two. If you
would like further information, please refer to the Renewable Heat Incentive
Policy Document.
Best Practice
5.66. If you would like further information on implementing a biomass project,
please see the Carbon Trust‘s best practice guide, ‗Biomass heating: a
practical guide for potential users for biomass projects‘46. If you would like
further information about the location of suitable fuels for your biomass boiler
then this is available from the biomass energy centre website47. Please note
that both guides are for information only and should not be construed as
guaranteeing eligibility to the RHI.
Biomass contained in municipal waste
5.67. Installations that apply under the ‗biomass contained in municipal waste‘
category can only use municipal waste as their fuel source. If the installation
is to be eligible for the RHI on the basis that heat is being generated there
from solid biomass contained in municipal waste, fuels that are not classed as
municipal waste by the Regulations (e.g. other wastes, or solid biomass)
cannot be used at the plant. The use of other fuels at the plant would mean
that the solid biomass in municipal waste provisions in the scheme could not
be utilised.
45 www.ofgem.gov.uk/rhi
46 http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Publications/pages/PublicationDetail.aspx?id=CTG012
47http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=77,225275&_dad=portal&_sc
hema=PORTAL
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5.68. The Regulations specify that ‗Municipal waste‘ has the same meaning as in
section 21 of the Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003 (WSET). This is:
‗waste from households‘, and
‗other waste that, because of its nature or composition, is similar to waste
from households.‘
5.69. It is clear from this definition that where an installation uses household waste
only, this waste can be viewed as ‗municipal waste‘ within the meaning of the
Regulations.
5.70. Where a participant wishes to use a mixture of household waste and other
waste (‗mixed waste‘), Ofgem will need to be satisfied that all of this mixed
waste can be regarded as municipal waste. This is because installations which
use biomass contained in waste other than municipal waste are not eligible for
support under the RHI.
5.71. In assessing whether household waste or mixed waste may be treated as
municipal waste under section 21 of WSET, Ofgem will use the interpretative
guidance on the meaning of municipal waste contained in the Department of
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs‘ ‗Consultation on meeting EU Landfill
Diversion Targets‘ and subsequent decision document, ‗Summary of responses
to the consultation on meeting EU Landfill Diversion Targets in England‘ (the
‗Defra Guidance‘). The Defra Guidance regards waste as meeting the WSET
definition of municipal waste when it falls into specified categories of the List
of Wastes (formerly known as the European Waste Catalogue).The first table
at Appendix 4 shows the categories from the List of Wastes that DEFRA has
concluded should be classed as municipal waste. The second table at Appendix
4 shows examples of the categories from the List of Wastes that DEFRA has
concluded should not to be classed as municipal waste.
5.72. If changes are made to the Defra Guidance or the List of Wastes in the future,
Ofgem will aim to align its policy on interpreting the meaning of municipal
waste accordingly.
Biogas combustion for heat
5.73. Biogas is defined as ‗gas produced by the anaerobic or thermal conversion of
biomass‘.48 Because of this link to the term ‗biomass‘ and the definition of
that49, this does not include any gas produced from fossil fuel or peat, but
only from fuel ‗which is, or is derived directly or indirectly from, plant matter,
48 Act, s. 100(3).
49 Ibid
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animal matter, fungi or algae‘.50 For example, this could include gas produced
from food or farm waste.
5.74. The biogas installation must use one of the following conversion
technologies:51
Anaerobic digestion: ‗the bacterial fermentation of biomass in the absence of
oxygen‘.
Gasification: ‗the substoichiometric oxidation or steam reformation of a
substance to produce a gaseous mixture containing two or all of the following:
oxides of carbon, methane and hydrogen‘.
Pyrolysis: ‗the thermal degradation of a substance in the absence of an
oxidising agent (other than that which forms part of the substance itself) to
produce char and one or both of gas and liquid‘.
200kWth biogas limit
5.75. Only biogas systems of under 200 kWth are eligible for RHI support. In other
words the ‗total installed peak output capacity‘52 of the heat generating
equipment must be less than that. Please refer to the ‗Installation capacity for
CHP systems‘ section in Chapter Four for how to determine this.
Other criteria
5.76. In addition to the biogas upper limit, regulations state that the plant must not
generate heat from solid biomass (including solid biomass contained in
municipal waste).53 This means that where liquid or steam is heated from solid
biomass, the plant would not be eligible as a biogas plant. For example, log
gasification boilers (and other gasifying boilers) would generally be classed as
generating heat from solid biomass (as well as biogas) because significant
amounts of heat from the solid biomass, in the form of hot gases generated
by the biogas plant, would be transferred to the hot water. Plants such as
these would instead be eligible as solid biomass plants and receive the solid
biomass rather than biogas tariff.
5.77. An example of a plant which does not generate heat from solid biomass (and
would therefore be classed as biogas) would be where syngas produced from
a gasification process is quenched before being combusted (in an engine,
turbine or boiler). Because the syngas does not contain significant amounts of
heat, heat would not be passed from the solid biomass to the hot water.
50 Ibid
51 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2, definitions.
52 Please see the ‗Installation Capacity‘ Section in Chapter Four for an explanation of this term.
53 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 11(c)
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5.78. Where a plant generates hot liquid/ steam from solid biomass (i.e. from the
heat contained in the syngas before combustion is complete) through a heat
exchanger, and another plant combusts the biogas and generates hot liquid/
steam through a further heat exchanger, this would count as two separate
plants (one solid biomass and one biogas). Two applications would be made to
the RHI, and each plant would receive the tariff applicable to that heat
generation and use.
5.79. Biogas from landfill sites will not be eligible for support.
5.80. Plants configured to operate on both biogas and fossil fuel gas (e.g. where a
single boiler is connected to both a biogas and natural gas supply), which are
effectively dual-fuel biogas/ fossil fuel boilers, would not be considered to be
generating heat from biogas so would not be eligible under the scheme.
5.81. Biogas can also be upgraded to make biomethane, as set out in the section on
biomethane below, and/ or used directly to produce heat. Where a company
produces biogas and some is combusted to provide heat, while the rest is
‗upgraded‘ to biomethane, the plant should apply separately for accreditation
of the installation generating heat from the biogas and for registration of the
biomethane production.
5.82. There is no requirement for MCS certification of biogas plants.
5.83. Biogas plants will still need to comply with relevant waste and environmental
permitting legislation irrespective of their participation in the RHI.
Biogas and Feed-In Tariffs
5.84. The Feed-In Tariffs (FIT) scheme provides support for renewable electricity
installations up to 5MW, including those powered by anaerobic digestion. The
FITs scheme does not provide support for renewable heat. There are no
limitations on receiving RHI for renewable heat where anaerobic digestion
installations are also receiving FITs for renewable electricity. However, any
heat used for electricity generation will not be eligible for RHI support, as
outlined in the ‗Ineligible heat uses‘ section in Chapter Six, ‗Heat uses‘.
Combined heat and power
5.85. The heat output of CHP systems is eligible for support under the RHI so long
as the system uses geothermal, biogas, solid biomass contained in municipal
waste or solid biomass as a source of energy. These plants will also have to
meet the additional eligibility requirements applicable to that technology
(geothermal, biogas, solid biomass contained in municipal waste or solid
biomass) detailed above to be eligible.
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5.86. There is one exception to the above as detailed in the Regulations54 where a
CHP plant cannot be accredited under the RHI. A CHP plant will not be eligible
for the RHI where it is fuelled by solid biomass (including solid biomass
contained in municipal waste), is accredited under the Renewables
Obligation55 and has at any point since receiving that accreditation been a
‗qualifying CHP‘ generating station within the meaning of the Renewables
Obligation Order. A ‗qualifying combined heat and power generating station‘ is
defined in the RO Order as a combined heat and power generating station that
has received accreditation under the Combined Heat and Power Quality
Assurance (CHPQA) Standard and CHPQA Guidance Note 44. We interpret this
to mean that they have been issued with a ‗ROC eligible‘ certificate in addition
to a ‗Regular‘ CHP certificate (see CHPQA Guidance Note 44 for further
details56). NB for avoidance of doubt, this exception applies even if the plant
has not been in receipt of the ROC uplift.. See Appendix 2 of this volume for a
diagram setting out the requirements for CHP system eligibility.
Biomethane injection to the grid
5.87. Production of biomethane for injection into the gas grid will be eligible for the
RHI. Please see Chapter Eight of this volume for further information.
54 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 9(2)
55 Renewables Obligation Order 2009 or Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order 2009
56 https://www.chpqa.com/guidance_notes/GUIDANCE_NOTE_44.pdf
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Ineligible technologies
5.88. The earlier parts of this Chapter set out the technologies which are eligible for
the RHI. For ease of reference, Table 5 below sets out a number of
technologies which are ineligible for the RHI for 2011. This is not an
exhaustive list of ineligible technologies.
Table 5: Ineligible technologies in 2011
INELIGIBLE TECHNOLOGIES IN 2011
Co-firing of
biomass with
fossil fuel
The Government will not be supporting the co-firing of
biomass with fossil fuels in single boilers under the RHI.
Regulations place obligations on the type of boiler
installed (see solid biomass eligibility section) and on
the fuels used on an ongoing basis (see section on
„ongoing fuelling requirements‟ in Chapter 4 of Volume
2).
Exhaust air heat
pumps
Exhaust air heat pumps use air extracted from inside the
building, for example from kitchens or computer server
rooms, as their air source. They are particularly useful in
very well insulated buildings which require mechanical
ventilation. However, they are not classified as
renewable under the Renewable Energy Directive as
they do not rely solely on outside air and therefore will
not be eligible for the RHI.
Transpired solar
thermal panels
The Government have confirmed that direct air heating
and transpired solar panels will not be supported under
the RHI as they are not counted as a renewable
technology under the RED.
Fossil fuel fired
CHP
The Energy Act 2008 only allows the RHI to support
renewable energy and therefore the Government have
confirmed RHI will not support fossil-fired CHP.
Waste heat from
fossil fuel
The Government have confirmed the exclusion of waste
fossil fuel heat from the RHI as it is not renewable and
therefore does not count towards the UK‟s renewable
energy targets.
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6. Heat uses
Chapter Summary
This chapter sets out:
- The principles underlying the Government‘s policy on heat uses that will be
eligible for RHI support;
- The uses of heat that will be eligible for RHI support;
- The ineligible heat uses which will not be eligible for RHI support.
6.1. The RHI Policy Document sets out the principles underlying the Government‘s
policy on heat uses that are eligible for RHI support:
The RHI is intended to provide support for renewable heating where the heat
generated is usable and useful.
In order for an installation to be eligible for the RHI, the heat load it is being
used to meet must be an economically justifiable heating requirement, i.e. a
heat load that would otherwise be met by an alternative form of heating.
The heat load should be an existing or new requirement, i.e. not created
artificially purely to claim the RHI.
6.2. This Chapter does not apply to biomethane plants; please see Chapter Eight
for an explanation of the registration process for such plants.
Eligible heat uses
6.3. The Regulations state that the RHI will support heat where that heat is used in
a building for ‗eligible purposes‘: heating a space, heating water or for
carrying out a process where the heat is used.57 Our interpretation of these
terms is described in more detail below.
Heating a space: the heating of rooms or other enclosed spaces within
buildings, typically through the supply of hot liquid to heat emitters, such as
radiators and underfloor heating.
Heating water: the heating of water for direct use, such as commercial and
industrial hot water or for use in schools or hospitals. Heating hot water for
domestic use is also permitted, provided that the eligible installation does not
provide heat solely to a single, domestic premises. For more information on
what constitutes a single, domestic premises, see section ‗Installations
heating one single domestic premises are ineligible‘ in Chapter Four above.
57 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2 (definition of ‗eligible purpose‘) and Regulation 3(2)
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Carrying out a process: the use of heat to carry out a specific process such
as industrial cooking, drying (including drying of wood and other biomass
fuels), pasteurisation58 or chemicals manufacture. It also includes heat that is
subsequently used for cooling, e.g. passing renewable heat through
absorption chillers. It does not include heat used for the generation of
electricity, as set out in section ‗Ineligible heat uses‘ below.59
6.4. Any heat that is not used for an eligible purpose is classed by the Regulations
as an ‗ineligible purpose‘, and such heat is not eligible for RHI support.60
6.5. To be eligible for RHI support, heat must be used for eligible purposes within a
building. For example, renewable heat generated to meet the heat loads
described below would not be eligible for the RHI:
Heating of external surfaces to prevent frost or cold temperatures61;
Underground heating of open external spaces, e.g. recreational facility;
Heating of open air or partially enclosed swimming pools.
6.6. The Regulations define a building as ‗any permanent or long-lasting building or
structure of whatever kind and whether fixed or moveable which, except for
doors and windows, is wholly enclosed on all sides with a roof or ceiling and
walls‗. The definition therefore has two main components: whether the
building is permanent or long-lasting, and whether it is wholly enclosed. We
explain below how we will interpret these two components; you will need to
ensure that your building meets both criteria.
6.7. We will ask for information about the building(s) in which the heat is used as
part of the accreditation process. To illustrate how we will apply this definition
of a building in practice, we include below some indicative examples relating
to both parts of the definition. These are not intended to be comprehensive
and we will look at other situations on a case-by-case basis to assess whether
the definition in the Regulations is met.
6.8. In assessing whether we consider that a building or structure meets the
requirement that it is ‗permanent or long-lasting‘, we shall consider all the
relevant circumstances. Aspects to which we may have regard include:
the length of time for which it is expected that the building or structure will
remain in its location;
58 For anaerobic digestion plants, the pasteurisation of feedstocks before they enter the
digester, and the digestate, will be regarded as eligible processes.
59 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2, definition of ‗process‘
60 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2, definition of ‗ineligible purpose‘
61 Trace heating of insulated pipework will in general be regarded as an eligible use. See
paragraph 6.15 for further information.
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the materials from which the building or structure (including any associated
foundations) are constructed; and
the degree to which the building or structure is designed to be moved and the
extent of works required to effect its removal.
6.9. In considering the length of time for which a building or structure is expected
to remain in its location, we would not generally consider any building which
would be eligible for exemption from the energy efficiency requirements of
Schedule 1, Part L of the Buildings Regulations 2010 on the basis that it has ‗a
planned time of use of two years or less‘62, to be ‗permanent or long-lasting‘.
In addition, we may also consider a claim for capital allowances on a
moveable building63 as an indication that this building is not expected to
remain in a single location on a ‗permanent or long-lasting‘ basis.
6.10. Based on the above, we would normally consider that tents, polytunnels and
similar structures are erected on a temporary basis and therefore are not
eligible because they do not meet the criterion of ‗permanent or long-lasting
building or structure‗. However, moveable buildings or structures which are
constructed with a view to having a long period of use such as porta-cabins,
static caravans, greenhouses and shipping containers could be regarded as
‗permanent or long-lasting‗ provided they are expected to remain in the same
location for a sufficiently long period of time.
6.11. Structures which are erected outdoors but are themselves ‗wholly enclosed
on all sides with a roof or ceiling and walls‘ such as distillation columns
and silos would be eligible. This interpretation would generally extend to
situations where a number of ‗wholly enclosed‘ structures are erected
outdoors on the same site; for example, where a chemical or industrial
processing facility comprises a series of ‗wholly enclosed‘ structures joined by
sealed pipework. This is subject to each individual structure meeting the
requirement that it is ‗permanent or long-lasting‘ (see our guidance above)
and ‗wholly enclosed‘ (see our guidance below in this section on apertures
which are not windows and doors). It must also be shown that the eligible
heat use e.g. the carrying out of a process is contained within the relevant
structure(s).
6.12. Where heat is used for an eligible purpose within a series of ‗wholly enclosed‘
structures which make up a chemical or industrial processing facility, each
such structure would normally be treated as a separate ‗building‘ for RHI
purposes. Therefore, an installation generating heat used in a facility
consisting of multiple structures would be treated as ‗complex‘ for RHI
metering purposes (see the ‗Metering heat where there are multiple buildings‘
section in Chapter Seven of this Volume for the options for metering multiple
buildings). Open structures such as uncovered tanks, reservoirs and channels
would be excluded from the definition of building. We also interpret the
62 Regulation 21(3)(c), Building Regulations 2010.
63 Under Capital Allowances Act 2001, s. 23, List C, item 21.
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requirement that buildings or structures should be ‗wholly enclosed on all
sides‘ to mean that structures with open sides (such as barns, car ports,
covered terraces etc) and with retractable roofs are ineligible. The eligibility of
a ‗wholly enclosed‗ building or structure where one or more of its four walls
contains a window or door which is significant in proportion to the area of the
wall (such as retail shops with display windows, cafes with patio doors, loading
bays and docks, garages etc.) is not affected.
6.13. In interpreting the requirement for ‗wholly enclosed‗, we shall also take a
pragmatic approach to the existence of apertures in walls, ceilings or roofs
which are not doors or windows (such as vents, flues, air intakes etc.),
provided that these are small in size and number relative to the area of the
wall, ceiling or roof and do not, in our opinion, permit the significant escape of
heat.
6.14. As part of the accreditation process, applicants will be required to provide
information about how the heat generated by their eligible installation is used.
This information will help Ofgem to verify that only heat which is eligible for
the RHI is being supported. The information requested will include:
which of the eligible purposes described above are supplied with heat from the
heating system of which the eligible installation forms part;
a brief description of what the heat is used for, including whether any heat is
used for ineligible purposes or exported to third parties.
6.15. Trace heating of insulated pipework will in general be regarded as an eligible
use. Ofgem may seek assurance, including through the Independent Metering
Report (see section ‗Independent Report on Metering Arrangements‘ in
Chapter Seven of this Volume), that trace heated pipework is insulated
appropriately, and that trace heating of any heat distribution systems is
appropriate to the system.
6.16. The Regulations permit us to request evidence that the heat for which the RHI
is paid is being used for eligible purposes as set out above.64 We may do this
as part of the accreditation process or at any time after the installation has
been accredited. Please see section ‗Inspections and access to third party
premises‘ in Chapter Two of this Volume for our approach to instances where
the eligible heat use occurs on third party premises not owned or controlled by
the participant.
6.17. Participants who are unable to provide this evidence or procure the relevant
rights of access from third parties may not be granted accreditation or may be
subject to subsequent enforcement action as set out in Volume Two,
Chapter Ten, ‗Compliance and Enforcement Powers‘.
64 Regulations, Part 4, Chapter 3, Regulation 34(o)
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6.18. Participants will also be required to agree to upfront as well as annual
declarations which confirm that the participant is not generating heat for the
predominant purpose of increasing their RHI payments.
Ineligible heat uses
6.19. In accordance with the Regulations, any use of heat that is not supplied to an
eligible purpose is supplied to an ineligible purpose and is therefore ineligible
for RHI support. Some specific uses of renewable heat are excluded by the
Regulations, and these are outlined below. These examples do not constitute
an exhaustive list of all ineligible purposes, as we cannot account for every
scenario in this Guidance.
6.20. An installation can be eligible for the RHI if it supplies heat to one or more
ineligible purposes in addition to at least one eligible purpose. However, meter
readings and heat output data submitted to Ofgem for RHI payment purposes
must not include any heat that has been used for ineligible purposes. For
example, an installation ‗pre-heating‘ a liquid subsequently heated by a
further fossil fuel plant would generally be regarded as eligible, providing
meter readings and heat output data submitted to Ofgem for RHI payment
purposes did not include heat generated by the fossil fuel plant or the heat
used for ineligible purposes. Examples of such pre-heating are given in
metering examples [five] and [six] in Appendix One.
6.21. The following heat uses are considered ineligible:
Cooling generated by heat pumps run in reverse (see Chapter Five, section
‗Reversible heat pumps‘ for further details of how such cooling must be
accounted for).65
From the point where it is metered for the purposes of calculating RHI
support, renewable heat must not be used to generate electricity66. This is
also the case if the heat is delivered to a third party who uses the heat to
generate electricity. Where renewable heat has been used to generate
electricity in a renewable CHP system, i.e. electricity is generated and then
the waste (renewable) heat from this process is subsequently used for an
eligible purpose as set out in the ‗Eligible heat uses‘ section above, this
renewable heat is eligible for RHI support providing all other eligibility
requirements are satisfied.
Process internal heat (sometimes referred to as ‗parasitic loads‘), i.e. heat
that is subsequently used in the generation of heat, is normally not eligible for
RHI support. For example, steam used for pre-heating or de-aeration of
feedwater, and condensate/steam returns to an installation are not eligible for
65 Regulations, Part 4, Chapter 3, Regulation 35
66 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2, definition of ―process‖
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support67. Process internal heat uses not covered in this guidance document
will be treated on a case-by-case basis. If you believe that your installation
has such a heat use, please contact us. Chapter Seven sets out more detail of
how process internal heat should be accounted for when providing meter
readings and heat output data to Ofgem.
6.22. Any heat that is rejected from a system and not subsequently used for eligible
purposes, or vented directly to the atmosphere, for example through a heat
rejection facility of a CHP system or a heat dissipation circuit of a solar
thermal system, is not eligible for RHI support and must not be included in
meter readings provided to us.
67 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 17 & Part 5, Regulations 38 and 39
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7. Metering eligibility requirements
Chapter Summary
This Chapter sets out:
- The types of meters that are allowed for the RHI, and the technical
requirements they must meet;
- The information relating to meters and metering arrangements which we will
be asking for during the accreditation process;
- Where meters should be positioned, relative to the installation and heat uses,
to ensure that measurements are relevant and accurate and that only eligible
heat is claimed for;
- Ongoing requirements that relate to meters in use for RHI purposes.
7.1. In accordance with the Regulations, participants may only claim RHI support
on eligible heat that is delivered by any heat-conveying liquid or steam.68
Where heat is delivered from other sources, such as direct air heating, this is
not eligible for RHI support. All eligible installations will therefore need one or
more heat or steam meters to correctly measure the amount of renewable
heat that is eligible for RHI support.
7.2. Information on metering for biomethane plants is provided in Chapter Eight;
the requirements set out in this Chapter do not apply to such plants.
7.3. For installations with a capacity of 45kWth and below, the MCS installation
company should be able to advise participants on how to comply with the
technical metering requirements set out below (as applicable).
7.4. This Chapter contains information that is necessarily technical. Appendix One,
‗Meter placement examples‘, provides examples of how the metering
requirements set out in this Chapter could apply in certain situations. This is
intended to assist with understanding of how technical requirements could
apply in practice. These are illustrative examples only, and are not intended to
be an exhaustive list of all possible system configurations. However, for each
application for RHI support, we will apply the principles described below when
assessing whether the metering arrangements for that heating system meet
the RHI eligibility requirements.
7.5. Details of how to provide ongoing meter readings and heat output data to
Ofgem are provided in Volume Two, Chapter Three of this Guidance. The
ongoing obligations participants need to meet with respect to maintaining
their meters can be found in section ‗Maintenance of meters‘ in Volume Two,
Chapter Two of this Guidance.
7.6. For the purposes of this Guidance we refer to ‗heat meters‘ for the
measurement of heat transferred by any liquid, typically hot water or water
68 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2, Regulation 12(1)
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and a mixture of other agents (such as ethylene glycol). Steam meters are
covered separately in the ‗Steam measuring equipment (steam meters)
section‘ below. Where heat and steam meters are referenced in this Chapter,
it is assumed they meet the requirements set out in the Regulations.
Heat meters
What standard of heat meter is permissible for the RHI?
7.7. Where renewable heat is delivered by a heat conveying liquid, the Regulations
require that all heat meters used for RHI purposes comply with Class 2
accuracy requirements, that is:
comply with the relevant requirements set out in Annex I to the 2004
Measuring Instruments Directive (MID)69 (2004/22/EC), and
comply with the specific requirements listed in Annex MI-004 of the MID, and
fall within accuracy Class 2 as defined in Annex MI-00470.
7.8. There is an exception to this requirement for certain transitional CHP systems,
please see the ‗CHP systems currently registered on the CHPQA scheme‘
Section below for further details.
7.9. The MID sets out the requirements for a number of measuring instruments
used for trade71. MID covers meters used to measure heat by heat conveying
liquids, such as hot water, in a heat exchange circuit. MID requirements in
Annex I include allowable errors (accuracy classes), durability, resistance to
disturbances, and inscriptions and markings that may need to be fixed to the
meter. It also sets out what information must be provided by the
manufacturer for installation, operation and maintenance of the meter. For
further information about the MID, please see the National Measurement
Office website72.
7.10. It will be a condition of accreditation that the heat meter(s) for your
installation must not in any way be tampered with to affect the meter
readings of the installation.
69 http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/nmo/docs/legislation/legislation/mid/measuring-
instruments-directive-text-from-oj.pdf
70 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2, definition of ‗class 2 heat meter‘
71 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/legal-metrology-and-prepack/documents/europ-
standards/index_en.htm
72 http://www.bis.gov.uk/nmo/technical-services/product-certification/MID/heat-meters
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7.11. MID provides requirements for different accuracy classes of heat meter. The
Government has concluded that a minimum of Class 2 requirements are
applicable for the RHI, as set out in the Regulations73,74.
7.12. To comply with the specific requirements in Annex MI-004 of the MID, all heat
meters used for RHI purposes must comprise:
a flow sensor (or meter) - a meter which determines the volume of fluid
which has passed through a pipe within a given time period,
a matched pair of temperature sensors (such as two thermocouples) -
two temperature sensors that are calibrated together as a pair to make sure
the temperature difference between the input and output of the system is
measured to the stated accuracy level, and
a calculator/digital integrator (though in some systems a Building
Management System may take the place of the integrator) – a device which
uses the information provided by the flow meter and the matched pair of
temperature sensors to calculate the heat energy being transferred.
7.13. These above-listed components can be purchased together as an integrated
meter. Alternatively, individual components, or sub-assemblies, can be
brought together as a heat metering system. Where individual components
are brought together as a heat metering system, the applicant must ensure
that individual components are compatible. For example, a manufacturer of a
calculator/digital integrator will advise on compatibility requirements for
differing designs or sources of flow sensor and/or temperature sensors that
meet the requirements set out above.
7.14. A heat meter comprising individual components which all meet or exceed (i.e.
Class 1) Class 2 requirements would be accepted as meeting the requirements
of a Class 2 meter (outlined above). However, if any component of the heat
meter does not meet the Class 2 requirements, (e.g. the flow meter only
meets the less accurate Class 3 requirements), the Class 2 requirements set
out in the Regulations are not met.
7.15. Participants must ensure that any Class 2 heat meter used for RHI purposes is
designed (and appropriately calibrated and properly installed) for the heat-
conveying liquid used by the heating system.
73 See for example, Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulations 16 and 17.
74 Meters that fall within accuracy class 1 as defined in Annex MI-004 of the MID and meet the
other appropriate eligibility requirements are also appropriate for RHI purposes (as these
requirements are stricter than those for Class 2).
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What information needs to be supplied when applying for accreditation?
7.16. There are a number of routes for demonstrating that an integrated heat meter
meets the eligibility requirements. As part of the RHI accreditation process,
we will ask for evidence to demonstrate that the meter meets the Class 2
requirements, which may be provided in all or any of four different ways. This
information will be required for each model of integrated meter used for RHI
purposes.
7.17. The most straightforward method to demonstrate that the meter used for RHI
purposes meets the eligibility requirements is to provide evidence that the
meter has been submitted and shown to comply with MID MI-004 conformity
assessment procedures. A digital photograph of the meter showing meter
design details, its serial number and display of its 'M' and 'CE' markings and
approval numbers affixed to it could be used. Alternatively, a copy of the
manufacturer‘s declaration of conformity could be used.
7.18. We will also accept other methods of demonstrating compliance with Class 2
requirements. The alternative options are:
A (pre-MID)75 EEC type approval certificate showing compliance with Class 2
accuracy requirements, or a digital photograph with the meter showing the
EEC approval markings and verification seals affixed to it; or
A certificate from an independent test house accredited to ISO 17025 (heat
meters) demonstrating compliance against the applicable European Standard
(EN 1434: 2007 Parts 4 and 5) for Class 2 heat meters; or
An International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) Class 2 Heat Meter
Certificate of Conformity.
7.19. Where the meter components are purchased separately, we will ask for
evidence that each component meets the requirements. This evidence could
be manufacturer‘s documentation or conformity assessment/testing
certificates, for example.
7.20. As part of the accreditation process we will also ask for:
1. each heat meter‘s manufacturer and model or, where the components
are purchased separately, the manufacturer and model of the flow sensor;
2. each heat meter‘s serial number or, where the components of the meter
are purchased separately, the serial number of the flow meter component;
75 MID was implemented in GB on 30 October 2006. There is a 10 year transitional period for
existing (pre-MID) approvals to continue to be manufactured and placed on the market.
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3. a brief description of each meter, e.g. ‗measures heat generated by
biomass boiler‘ or ‗measures heat being supplied to office block‘ allowing it
to be identified on the system‘s schematic diagram (for further
information about the schematic diagram, please see section ‗Schematic
diagram‘ below;
4. a meter reading for each meter, and the date on which that reading was
taken;
5. the applicant‘s confirmation that all meters were installed in line with
manufacturer‘s instructions (including any installation requirements
required as part of the MID conformity assessment or other EEC, EN 1434
or OIML testing certificates, as appropriate) and that the metering system
is appropriate for the measurement function (e.g. the possible flow rates
of the fluid being measured fall between the maximum and minimum flow
rate calibration range of the flow sensor or the temperature sensors are
designed to measure the possible temperature range of the liquids) and
was appropriately calibrated prior to use.
7.21. We may request a copy of the MID EC-type or design examination certificate
or other EEC, EN 1434 or OIML testing certificates, where appropriate, for any
heat meter used for RHI purposes. Where the components of the heat meter
are purchased separately, the manufacturer and model of the temperature
sensors and calculator/digital integrator, and the serial number of the
calculator/digital integrator may also be requested.
7.22. All large or ‗complex‘ installations that deliver heat by hot liquid will be
required to provide an independent report that verifies the metering
arrangements in place as part of the accreditation process. This will provide
further information about the heat meters and the heating system, allowing us
to verify that all the relevant eligibility criteria have been met. Please see the
‗Independent report on metering arrangements‘ Section in this Chapter for
further details of this report, and the RHI website for a template of the
report76.
7.23. In some systems the composition of the heat conveying liquid could vary over
time. This may include some heating systems where a mixture (such as a
water/ethylene glycol mix) will be topped up using liquid of a different
composition (such as water). In these circumstances, the applicant must
demonstrate that the meters installed will always meet the general eligibility
conditions as outlined in this Guidance. In reviewing such a position, Ofgem
will be mindful of any procedures in place to monitor and control the
concentration of the heat conveying liquid and the regime for re-calibrating
the meters where necessary to compensate for changes to heat transfer liquid
composition. Applicants may also wish to consider alternative meter
configurations, such as positioning the meter after the primary heat
exchanger/primary heat loop, in order to remove the requirement to meter a
heat conveying liquid of which the composition may vary over time. Note that
76 www.ofgem.gov.uk/rhi
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this would not be permitted where such a configuration could result in a meter
reading contributing to misreporting of the heat generated by the installation.
For example, a meter to measure heat generated by the installation that was
influenced by the heat generated by another plant would not be permitted.
Steam measuring equipment (steam meters)
What standard of steam meter is permissible for the RHI?
7.24. Where renewable heat is delivered by steam, the Regulations set out the
requirements for ‗steam measuring equipment‘ (hereafter referred to as steam
meters).77
7.25. Steam meters used for RHI purposes must have, as a minimum, the following
components continuously measuring the steam properties and calculating the
cumulative steam energy that has passed through the measuring system as
shown on the system‘s schematic diagram:
A flow meter – a meter which determines how much fluid (steam) has
passed through a pipe over a given time period;
A pressure sensor – a device for measuring the pressure of steam flowing
through the pipe;
A temperature sensor – a device for measuring the temperature of steam
flowing through the pipe;
A calculator/digital integrator– a device which uses the information
provided by the flow meter, temperature and pressure sensors to calculate
the cumulative heat energy transferred through the pipe.
7.26. These components can be purchased together as an integrated meter or
purchased separately.
7.27. The Regulations also require that all steam meters are capable of displaying
the measured steam pressure and temperature, and the current mass flow
rate and cumulative mass of steam which has passed through it since it was
installed. To accommodate cases where cumulative readings may be reset
during the calibration process, Ofgem will consider this to also include steam
meters capable of displaying the measured steam pressure and temperature,
and the current mass flow rate and cumulative mass of steam which has
passed through it since it was installed or calibrated.
77 Regulations, Part 1, Regulation 2, definition of ‗steam measuring equipment‘
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7.28. We expect that participants will install steam measuring equipment which is
capable of delivering the levels of reliability and accuracy associated with
accepted industry good practice. Where available, compliance with
International, European or British Standards including ISO 5167 (orifice
plates) is likely to be indicative of good practice, as is the use of
methodologies provided in the Carbon Trust Good Practice Guide 018 or the
CHPQA guidance notes (CHPQA guidance).78
What information about steam meters needs to be supplied when applying for
accreditation?
7.29. As part of the accreditation process we will ask for:
each steam meter‘s manufacturer and model or, where the components are
purchased separately, the manufacturer and model of the flow meter
component
each steam meter‘s serial number or, where the components of the meter
are purchased separately, the serial number of the flow meter component
the date of the most recent calibration of the steam meter
a brief description of each meter, e.g. ‗measures steam generated by
biomass boiler‘ or ‗measures steam being supplied to sterilisation process‘
allowing it to be identified on the schematic diagram (for further information
about the schematic diagram, please see the ‗Schematic diagram‘ Section
below)
a meter reading for each meter, and the date on which that reading was
taken
the applicant‘s confirmation that all meters were installed in line with
manufacturer‘s instructions and, where appropriate, that the metering system
is appropriate for the measurement function (such as the flow rate and the
calibration range of the temperature and pressure sensors) and calibrated
prior to use.79
7.30. The most recent calibration dates and the manufacturer and model of the
calculator/digital integrator, temperature and pressure sensors are expected
to be available upon request.
7.31. All installations that deliver heat by steam will be required to provide an
independent report that verifies the metering arrangements in place as part of
78 http://chpqa.decc.gov.uk/guidance-notes/
79 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 20(2)
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the accreditation process. This will provide further information about the
steam meters and the heating system, allowing us to verify that all the
relevant eligibility criteria have been met. Please see section ‗Independent
report on metering arrangements‘ below for further details of this report.
Additional information for systems with more than three RHI-relevant
meters
7.32. Where a system has more than three RHI-relevant meters, we will also ask for
a description of the metering arrangements relating to the eligible installation
and heat uses. This should explain how the metering arrangement will enable
the relevant heat output figures required for tariff calculation purposes to be
determined. Further details about which figures are required are set out in
Chapter Three, ‗Provision of periodic data – heat output data and supporting
meter readings‘, of Volume Two.
CHP systems currently registered on the CHPQA scheme
7.33. Where eligible CHP systems have a heat recovery system that was first
commissioned on or after 15 July 2009, and the system was generating
electricity only, using solid biomass or biogas, prior to 15 July 2009, the
Regulations allow us to accept such a system‘s existing heat or steam meters
for the RHI providing:
the meters were installed prior to the date of commencement of the
Regulations and
the CHP system was registered under the CHPQA standard80 prior to the date
of commencement of the Regulations.81
7.34. In practice, this means that where such a CHP system has a pre-existing Class
3 heat meter(s) that is relevant for the RHI, they will be exempt from the
requirement to have a Class 2 heat meter.
7.35. All other RHI eligibility and ongoing requirements relating to metering set out
in Chapter Seven, ‗Metering eligibility requirements‘, must be complied with.
If a CHP system which benefits from the above exemption in relating to
existing meters needs to install additional meters to meet the RHI metering
requirements, e.g. if their existing meters are not appropriately located, the
exemption will not apply and these additional meters will need to comply with
all of the requirements set out in Chapter Seven.
80 http://chpqa.decc.gov.uk/
81 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 19
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7.36. We may ask for evidence such as receipts, invoices or installer‘s
documentation and CHPQA documentation to verify that the above criteria
have been met.
Meter placement: simple and complex installations
7.37. This section sets out where meters need to be located in order to comply with
the Regulations. The Regulations classify installations as either ‗simple‘ or
‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes.82 This classification in turn determines
which quantities must be measured, and where meters must be located.83 It
also affects how payments are calculated, as set out in Chapter Two, ‗Periodic
support payments‘, in Volume Two of this Guidance.
7.38. Where more than one eligible installation is connected to the same heating
system (e.g. a biomass boiler and a heat pump), each eligible installation
must be metered separately to ensure that its renewable heat contribution can
be measured for RHI payment purposes. Where an installation comprises
multiple plants, it may be possible for the plants to share a meter for RHI
purposes, please see the ‗Shared meters‘ Section below for further
information.
Is your installation ‘simple’ or ‘complex’ for RHI metering purposes?
7.39. If the answer to any of the questions below for any of the plants comprising
your installation is ‗Yes‘, then the Regulations require the installation to be
classed as complex for RHI metering purposes.
Is the plant a CHP system (a plant where power is generated and waste heat
from the power generation process is recovered and used for eligible
purposes)?
Is heat generated by the plant delivered by steam?
Does the plant generate heat that is supplied to one or more ineligible
purposes (see Chapter Six for details of what constitutes an ineligible
purpose)?
Is the heat generated by the plant used or generated within more than one
building?
7.40. If the answer to all the questions above is ‗No‘ for all plants comprising an
eligible installation, then the installation will be classed as ‗simple‘ for
82 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulations 16 and 17
83 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulations 16 and 17 & Part 5, Regulations 38 and 39
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metering purposes, and for the calculation of payments as set out Chapter
Five, ‗Periodic Support Payments‘ in Volume Two of this Guidance.
7.41. Where an installation is comprised of multiple plants, it will be classed as
‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes where any of its component plants are
classed as complex.
7.42. Whether an installation is classed as simple or complex for RHI metering
purposes is illustrated in Figure 4 below.
Figure 4: A flow chart illustrating whether a plant comprising all or part of an eligible
installation would be classed as ‗simple‘ or ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes, in accordance
with the Regulations. NB: Where an installation is comprised of multiple plants, it will be
classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes where any of its component plants are classed
as complex.
Meter placement for „simple‟ installations
7.43. The Regulations allow simple installations to meter only the renewable heat
generated by the eligible installation, and to receive RHI support on this
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amount.84 This means that the heat meter measuring points must be
positioned correctly to meter the heat generated by the eligible installation.85
7.44. The temperature sensors must be installed appropriately so that they measure
accurately:
the temperature of the liquid returning to the installation, and
the temperature of the liquid as it leaves the installation, prior to entering any
common pipework or vessels, such as a common header86 or storage tank.
7.45. The pipe carrying the hot liquid flow leaving an installation is commonly
referred to as the flow pipe; the pipe carrying the cool liquid flow entering
an installation is commonly referred to as the return pipe. We use this
terminology here. The (heat) flow meter must be located on either
the return pipe directly entering the eligible installation or
the flow pipe directly leaving the eligible installation.
7.46. The heat meter calculator/digital integrator must be correctly configured for
the installed location of the flow meter and temperature sensors, as well as
the properties of the heat conveying fluid.
7.47. Figure 1.1 in Appendix One provides an example of how the principles above
would apply in practice.
7.48. Where an eligible installation is classed as simple for RHI metering purposes,
the participant will receive RHI payment on the kWhth as measured by the
class 2 heat meter(s) that measure heat generated by the eligible installation.
For further information about how RHI payments are calculated, see Chapter
Five, ‗Periodic Support Payments‘ in Volume Two of this Guidance.
Meter placement for „complex‟ installations where the heat transfer medium
is a liquid (i.e. not steam)
7.49. Any installation where heat is delivered by a liquid and which does not meet
the ‗simple‘ criteria outlined above will be classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI
metering purposes. This section describes the meter placement requirements
for heating systems where the heat transfer medium is a liquid. The scenario
where the heat transfer medium is steam is covered separately in the ‗Meter
84 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 16(2) and Part 5, Regulation 38
85 As shown in Figure 4, an installation that is classed as ‗simple‘ for RHI metering purposes
cannot deliver heat by steam, and therefore steam meters would never be required.
86 A ‗common header‘ is the main pipe to which plants supply heat, and from which heat uses
are supplied. A heating system may have multiple common headers.
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placement for ‗complex‘ installations where the heat transfer medium is
steam‘ Section below.
7.50. For complex installations where the heat transfer medium is a liquid, heat
meters will be required to directly measure three quantities for the heating
system of which the installation forms part (hereafter referred to as ‗the
heating system‘):
The heat generated by the eligible installation, prior to any common pipework
or vessels;
the total heat generated by all plants supplying hot liquid to the heating
system (this applies to all plants, whether they are eligible for the RHI or
not); and
the heat used for eligible purposes by the heating system.87 This must not
include any heat that is used for ineligible purposes. Examples of ineligible
purposes are given in Chapter Six, ‗Heat uses‘.
7.51. Where section ‗CHP systems currently registered on the CHPQA scheme‘ does
not apply, meters used to measure the quantities listed above must be class 2
heat meters or can be better (class 1 meters).
7.52. For all three quantities listed above, the flow meter component of the heat
meter should be located on either:
the return pipe directly entering the installation/heat generating
plant(s)/eligible purpose or
the flow pipe88 directly leaving the installation/heat generating
plant(s)/eligible purpose.
7.53. The temperature sensors must be placed so that they measure:
the temperature of the liquid returning to the installation/heat generating
plant(s)/eligible purpose, and
the temperature of the liquid as it leaves the installation/heat generating
plant(s)/eligible purpose.
87 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 17(2)
88 The pipe carrying the hot water flow leaving an installation or heat use is commonly referred
to as the flow pipe.
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7.54. Figure 1.2 in Appendix One, ‗Meter placement examples‘, shows an example
where the installation is classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes and
the heat transfer medium is a liquid.
Metering heat where there are multiple buildings
7.55. Ofgem is required by the Regulations to make payment only for heat used for
eligible purposes. Since heat lost in transportation between buildings is not
an eligible purpose, such lost heat must not be included in any claim for
payment. The simplest way to achieve this is to meter each building
individually and it is therefore our firm expectation that participants should
meter individual buildings.
7.56. However, in exceptional circumstances where it would be unduly burdensome,
for example where it is likely to be highly impractical or disproportionately
expensive, as for instance with some legacy heat distribution systems, as a
concession we would consider the following alternative arrangement.
7.57. Where an applicant does not wish to meter buildings separately, we may be
able to accept instead an approach where an agreed percentage is deducted
from the eligible heat use figure to represent heat lost between buildings. In
the future we will establish a standard methodology for calculating heat losses
between buildings. Such a standard methodology would be used to calculate
the percentage heat loss likely to be experienced in a particular application.
We are currently working to develop this methodology, and will seek advice
from key stakeholders. We will provide further guidance in this area when the
methodology is agreed.
7.58. In the meantime, we will consider proposals for alternatives to metering
individual buildings on a case-by-case basis. If you wish us to consider such a
proposal, please set out as part of your application for accreditation why
metering individual buildings would be unduly burdensome. In addition you
would need to provide us with design calculations showing how much heat will
be lost between buildings. We may ask you to provide verification of these
calculations by an independent and/or professionally qualified person. If we
accept that the calculations are satisfactory we will be able to accredit you on
this basis. Future payments will need to be adjusted pro-rata so that you are
only paid on the heat that has been used for eligible purposes. We will inform
you how this calculation should be carried out. As this is an administrative
concession, we will keep this area under review and may issue further
guidance on this approach.
Alternative approach where separate heating circuits are fed by a common
distribution system
7.59. In general, for systems considered complex for metering purposes all plant
supplying heat to the heating system must be metered for heat output.
However, Ofgem is mindful that this requirement may be overly burdensome
where certain conditions are met. One particular scenario might apply in the
case of a building supplied from a district heating system via a heat
exchanger, and where the building contains a back-up or supplementary
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boiler, the output of which is completely isolated from the main district
heating circuit. An example of such a system is provided in Appendix One,
Figure 1.8. To accommodate situations of this kind, we may consider
proposals to measure the eligible heat delivered to this building using a single
meter, where:
Heat is supplied to a building via a heat exchanger, such that the building has
a heat distribution system separate to the main distribution loop served by an
installation; and
There are no ineligible uses within the building; and
The meter is capable of capturing only heat used for eligible purposes, i.e. it
must not include any heat used for ineligible purposes; and
It can be demonstrated that any heating plant(s) within the building make no
contribution to providing heat for any use outside of the building which they
serve.
7.60. In this case, the term in the tariff calculation formula for heat generated by all
plants supplying heat to the same heating system of which the installation
forms part, would not include heat generated by plants within this building.
For more details on how payments are calculated, see Chapter Five of Volume
Two of this Guidance.
Meter placement for „complex‟ installations where the heat transfer medium
is steam
7.61. All installations where steam is the heat transfer medium are classed as
complex for RHI metering purposes.89 All steam meters used for RHI purposes
must meet the technical requirements set out in the ‗Steam measuring
equipment (steam meters)‘ section above. Where heat is used for eligible
purposes in more than one building, section ‗Metering heat where there are
multiple buildings‘ above applies.
7.62. The Regulations require steam meters to be positioned to measure:
the heat generated in the form of steam by the eligible installation;
the total heat generated in the form of steam by all plants supplying heat to
the heating system;
the heat in the form of steam used for eligible purposes by the heating
system. This will require
89 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 17(1)
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o a steam meter to measure the energy in the form of steam that is
delivered to the eligible purpose, and
o heat meters or steam meters positioned to measure heat which is
returned from the eligible purpose in the form of condensate, low
pressure steam, or a two phase flow90 of condensate and steam.91
7.63. We assume that the energy in the hot water delivered to the eligible
installation and any ineligible plant(s) does not need to be metered, as the
feedwater temperature for all plants will be the same.92
7.64. Where any combination of condensate, non condensable gases and steam are
discharged, the steam meter(s) measuring steam delivered to an eligible
purpose must be positioned such that they will not include heat lost via such
discharges.
7.65. The previous paragraph would in general apply to devices including steam
traps and blowdown valves. However, Ofgem is aware that well maintained
steam traps and related devices may be an integral part of best practice
system design. Where steam traps and related devices are well maintained
and are appropriate to the system, Ofgem would not consider these devices to
be an ineligible use for metering purposes. Ofgem may seek assurance,
including through the Independent Metering Report (see section ‗Independent
Report on Metering Arrangements‘ below), that such devices are not
inappropriate to the system, and are not poorly maintained.
7.66. Where steam is used for internal processes, such as feed water pre-heating,
de-aeration or any other such returns to the installation, the steam meter(s)
measuring steam delivered to the eligible purpose must be positioned such
that they exclude steam used for these purposes. Where this is not possible,
calculation of the amount of steam used for such purposes using metering by
difference may be permitted, see the ‗Metering by difference‘ section in this
Chapter for further details. For further information about process internal
heat, see Chapter Six of this Volume.
7.67. Often the fluid that returns from the eligible purpose will be a two-phase
mixture of hot water and steam. We expect applicants to know the conditions
of this returned fluid in order to determine whether a steam meter or heat
meter is most appropriate for measuring its energy content. We may ask for
90 A two-phase flow is one in which two phases flow simultaneously – in this case, the two
phases are gas (steam) and liquid (water)
91 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 17(2)
92 As the heat generated by the eligible installation and the total heat generated by all plants
that deliver heat to the heating system only appear in the tariff calculation formula as a ratio,
the enthalpy difference between the steam and the feedwater cancels out in the tariff
calculation formula. For further details of this formula, please see Chapter Five of Volume Two
of this Guidance.
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evidence showing that the choice of meter is appropriate for the typical
conditions of the returned fluid.
7.68. Where the returned fluid is wholly or primarily hot water, the heat meter
should have one temperature sensor in the return pipe from the eligible
purpose and use the datum used by the steam meters in place of the second
temperature sensor. Typically this datum will be 0ºC.93
7.69. Where the fluid returned from the eligible use is wholly or primarily steam,
additional temperature and pressure sensors must be located in the return
pipe leaving the eligible purpose (in addition to a flow meter).
7.70. In line with industry good practice, we expect participants to return as much
fluid from the eligible purpose as practically possible. We may ask for
information or evidence to confirm this is the case.
7.71. Flow meters, pressure sensors, temperature sensors and calculators/digital
integrators must be clearly marked on the schematic diagram. The schematic
diagram must also show which meter components are used to derive the
energy measured by particular steam meters, as shown in Figure 1.3 in
Appendix One, ‗Meter placement examples‘.
Location of meters on boilers with heat recirculation
7.72. Ofgem is aware that boilers may be incorporated into a heating system in
conjunction with a ―back end loop‖, the function of which is to recirculate heat
directly to the boiler while bypassing the main heating circuit or any further
heating loads. Ofgem understands that this will be standard practice for
certain boiler types, including biomass boilers. Ofgem would consider best
practice system design to involve meter placement after the back end loop, in
order to protect against recirculated heat being measured for the purposes of
RHI payment calculations. An example of this meter placement is given as
Example 2 in Appendix One. Ofgem will examine the body of evidence that
emerges through the administration of the scheme, and may at a later date be
minded to require meters to be placed after the back end loop in all cases.
Biogas-specific metering requirements94
7.73. Any heat generated by the plant, once it has passed the meter used to
calculate the RHI payment (e.g. waste heat generated from the combustion of
biogas), which is subsequently returned to the process of producing the biogas
at the plant (for example, where hot water heats the digester), must be
measured and deducted from the final RHI payment calculation. See above for
details of the meters which are required to perform this calculation. We will
ask at the accreditation stage how this fits in to the overall heat metering
process at the plant. Due to the metering requirements, the heat will have to
93 See, for example, https://www.chpqa.com/guidance_notes/GUIDANCE_NOTE_23.pdf
94 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 21
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be transferred in the form of liquid or steam. Biogas plants are specifically
excluded from delivering hot air from the heat generating plant to the biogas
production plant.95
7.74. Any other heat inputted into the production of the biogas at the biogas
production plant must also be measured and deducted from the overall RHI
payment calculation. For example, where water heated by a fossil fuel or
renewable boiler is used to raise the temperature of an anaerobic digester,
this must be measured and deducted. We will ask at the accreditation stage
what these uses are and how they will be measured (they will need to comply
with the standard class 2 heat meter requirements detailed above). When
periodic information is provided each quarter, this needs to be entered on to
the system and will be deducted from the overall payment.
7.75. The exception to this is when heat is contained in feedstock used at an
anaerobic digestion plant (e.g. following pasteurisation of the feedstock). The
heat in this feedstock does not need to be measured or deducted.
Shared meters
7.76. An eligible installation comprised of multiple component plants that use the
same source of energy and technology may use one heat or steam meter to
measure the heat generated by some or all the component plants, provided
those plants are eligible to receive the same tariff, share the same tariff start
date and tariff end date and providing that, in our opinion, a single meter is
capable of measuring the required quantity.96
7.77. This section does not apply where additional RHI capacity is added to an
installation (after the original installation has been accredited). For further
details on additional capacity, please see Volume Two, Chapter Seven of this
Guidance.
7.78. The shared meter approach allows plants using the same energy source and
technology to be grouped together and metered by just one heat or steam
meter. In practice, we will generally permit a shared meter where the heat
generated by one or more of the plants comprising the eligible installation can
be directly metered by a single heat or steam meter. For example, the return
temperature sensor would need to be placed prior to any heat from other
sources entering the heating system, and the flow temperature sensor after
any pre-heating. Where such direct measurement is not possible, each plant
will need to be metered individually.
7.79. Figure 1.4 in Appendix One, ‗Meter placement examples‘, gives an example of
how this might work in practice.
95 Regulations, Part 4, Chapter 3, Regulation 34(h)
96 Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 3, Regulation 18
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7.80. It should be made clear on the schematic diagram and in the application for
accreditation where an eligible installation is comprised of multiple component
plants. See Chapter Two, ‗How to apply when you have multiple plants‘, for
further information.
Installations in series
7.81. Where one eligible installation is used in series with another, for example a
solar thermal installation preheats feed water to a biomass boiler, heat meters
(or steam meters if appropriate) must be positioned to directly measure the
heat generated by each installation and to allow measurement of the
contribution made by each eligible installation to the total heat generated. An
example is provided in Appendix One of this volume.
Metering by difference
7.82. In general, we will require direct measurement of the quantities described in
the paragraphs above.97 This is to ensure that measurements used for RHI
payment purposes are accurate, as combining meter readings to obtain a
quantity required for the RHI tariff calculation may affect the accuracy with
which that quantity has been measured.
7.83. However, we recognise that in some circumstances direct measurement may
not be possible and in those cases we will give consideration to measuring by
difference on a case-by-case basis. For example, if a Class 2 heat meter
measures quantity A and another Class 2 heat meter measures quantity B,
then we may permit these measurements to be used to calculate the RHI-
required quantity C, where ―C = A – B‖.
7.84. We are most likely to grant permission for measuring by difference where
there is good reason for not using direct measurement, and where measuring
by difference can provide an acceptable level of accuracy. In this case, we
would usually expect all relevant metering equipment to have been calibrated
at the same time by the same person to reduce any calibration errors.
7.85. Any agreement we make to measuring by difference will be in writing,
together with agreement as to the means of calculation.
Installation of meters
7.86. As part of their application for RHI accreditation, applicants will need to
declare that all heat or steam meters (and meter components where these
were purchased separately) to the best of their knowledge still conform to the
manufacturer‘s specifications (e.g. they have not been modified in any
material way or, if repaired or refurbished, replacement parts were sourced
97 The exception to this is the measurement of heat used in systems where heat is delivered
by steam.
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from the original manufacturer) and still maintain relevant accuracy (i.e.
within the class 2 or other eligibility requirements).
7.87. The applicant is also required to ensure that all meters and their associated
components are then installed in accordance with the manufacturer‘s
specifications (including any installation requirements required as part of the
MID EC-type or design examination certificate or other EEC, EN 1434 or OIML
testing certificates where appropriate). For example, manufacturers of flow
meters often stipulate that the meter must:
have a flow conditioner or be placed a defined number of upstream and
downstream straight pipe diameters from any obstruction or plant to ensure
that the meter is not affected by flow disturbances or perturbations
have the temperature (and, where appropriate, pressure) sensors placed to
ensure that the temperature or pressure measurement is that of the heat-
conveying liquid or steam and is not affected by other factors, such as other
heat sources or the pipework configurations.
7.88. As part of this, applicants must ensure that the meters installed are
appropriate for the operating conditions of the heating system.
7.89. Participants should keep records of the relevant manufacturer‘s instructions
and relevant installer‘s receipts/documentation as we expect these to be
available upon request.
Schematic diagram
7.90. Applicants will be required to provide a schematic diagram of the installation
and the heating system of which it forms part during the accreditation
process. This diagram will form a key part of the application for accreditation.
7.91. This diagram will need clearly to show, as appropriate to the heating system
of which the installation forms part:
the relative positions of the eligible installation(s) (including any component
plants), any ineligible plant(s), eligible heat use(s), any ineligible heat use(s)
and heat rejection facility/facilities
the relevant pipework connections between all plants within the eligible
installation(s)
the relevant pipework connections between all eligible installations, all
ineligible plants and eligible or ineligible uses of heat, and
the relative positions of the relevant heat and steam meters and their
associated components as listed under sections ‗Heat meters‘ and ‗Steam
measuring equipment (steam meters)‘ above.
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7.92. With regards to metering arrangements, the schematic diagram (including a
key) must clearly show for each meter used for RHI purposes, as appropriate:
the meter sub components‘ positions, i.e. positions of temperature sensors,
pressure sensors, flow meters and any flow conditioners/straighteners
which measurements will be combined by the calculator/digital integrator to
generate the meter reading
the meter serial number as listed in the applicant‘s application for
accreditation.
Independent report on metering arrangements
7.93. In accordance with Schedule 1 of the Regulations, where an installation
has a capacity of 1MWth or above, or
is classed as complex for RHI metering purposes,
we will require an independent report by a competent person demonstrating
that the metering and measuring requirements imposed by Chapter 3 of Part
2 of the Regulations have been met98 (the ‗Report‘).
7.94. Please note that we generally will not require installations that have an
installation capacity of 45kWth or below to submit the Report. However, we
may require the Report for these installations if we are not satisfied by the
other evidence provided at accreditation that the metering arrangements for
the system meet the scheme requirements. Applicants applying for
accreditation of plant with an installation capacity of 45kWth or below should
therefore be prepared to provide such a Report, but the applicant may choose
not to obtain this in advance of making his/her accreditation application.
7.95. A Report will also be required in the following scenarios:
where additional RHI capacity99 takes an accredited installation‘s capacity over
1MWth,
98 Regulations, Schedule 1, paragraph 1 (2)(v)(v)
99 ‗Additional RHI capacity‘ is defined in the Regulations (Part 6, Regulation 43(2)) as a plant
which is—
(a) first commissioned after the date on which an accredited RHI installation (‗the original
installation‘) was first commissioned;
(b) uses the same source of energy and technology as the original installation; and
(c) supplies heat to the same heating system as that of which the original installation
forms part.
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where additional RHI capacity takes an accredited installation‘s capacity over
45kWth and the installation is considered complex for RHI metering purposes,
or where a change is made to the installation/heating system that results in
an RHI-accredited installation moving from a simple to complex classification
for RHI metering purposes.100 It will be a condition of accreditation for all
participants with accredited installations that should this third scenario arise,
the participant will be required to produce an independent metering report for
their accredited installation.
7.96. Further information about additional RHI capacity and simple and complex
classifications can be found in Chapter Seven in Volume Two and Chapter
Seven, ‗Metering eligibility requirements‘ of this volume respectively.
Who can write the Report?
7.97. In order to ensure the Report is of an appropriate standard, the Regulations
require the Report to be completed by a ‗competent person‘.
7.98. At present, mindful of the emerging nature of heat metering, Ofgem has
interpreted ‗competent person‘ to mean a person that meets all of the
following criteria:
1. An experienced and suitably qualified engineer (at least HND or equivalent
in an engineering discipline from a recognised academic institution);
2. Has demonstrable experience and expertise in flow measurement and
heat/steam measurement systems demonstrated by training and
development records;
3. Has a relevant background (involved in energy, utilities, building services,
heating system design, heating system operation & maintenance);
4. Covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance of at least £1m (through
employer or directly);
5. Is unbiased and impartial.
7.99. Over time we will keep these criteria under review, and we may in future ask
for further competence criteria to be met as the number and levels of
qualification of people in the marketplace increases.
7.100. Prospective participants may be required to demonstrate to our satisfaction
that the competent person is, and is seen to be, unbiased and impartial. We
will consider each case on its facts but we consider that a competent person is
unlikely to be regarded as unbiased and impartial where, for example:
He or she is, or is an employee, of the owner or heat user;
He or she is related to the owner or heat user;
100 Regulations, Part 2, 36 (1)
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He or she is contractually obliged to author Reports exclusively for a given
owner;
The submission of the Report could have a material impact on a significant
portion of his or her income.
7.101. For avoidance of doubt, this would allow the designer or meter installer to
complete the Report, where they were in a normal arms-length commercial
relationship with the applicant, and the bullet points listed above did not
apply.
7.102. As with the ‗competent person‘ criteria, over time we will keep under review
the above examples of persons we would consider unlikely to be regarded as
unbiased and impartial.
7.103. We recognise that some large organisations intending to apply routinely for
RHI may hope to use in-house expertise to complete reports. We anticipate
that schemes will emerge within industry that will certify that a person is
appropriately qualified, and that they are carrying out their work in a
professional and independent manner. Such a scheme would be expected to
carry out regular audits of members‘ activities. Where such schemes emerge
and we are satisfied that the certification requirements meet our needs, we
will be minded to accept certification under these schemes as evidence of both
competence and independence – including where the person is an employee of
the RHI applicant.
7.104. The competent person producing the Report must undertake a visit to the
installation and complete the Report. Where this Report is required, applicants
are responsible for ensuring it is carried out by a competent person who
meets the criteria set out above. Trade bodies should be able to provide
further advice if required.
What should the Report cover?
7.105. In order to ensure that all Reports are consistent and provide the information
we require to confirm metering arrangements are appropriate for the RHI, we
have developed a Report template. This template is available on the Ofgem
RHI website.101 The competent person is required to follow this template as
closely as possible and input one of the acceptable responses for each
question, except in the comment boxes where they can comment freely.
7.106. The Report will cover the installation‘s metering arrangements for RHI
purposes, including:
whether meters and sensors are correctly positioned
101 www.ofgem.gov.uk/RHI
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confirming that where any steam traps or related devices regarded as eligible
for metering purposes are observed, there is no evidence that these are
inappropriate to the system, inadequately maintained or inappropriately
vented
whether meters and sensors are installed in accordance with the
manufacturer‘s instructions and, where relevant, any installation requirements
required as part of the MID EC-type or design examination certificate or other
EEC, EN 1434 or OIML testing certificates where appropriate
whether meters and sensors meet the technical requirements set out
elsewhere in this Chapter
whether the system is configured so that any significant heat losses are
accounted for by the meter and sensor positioning
whether the schematic diagram is an accurate representation of the
installation and the heating system of which it forms part.
7.107. The competent person must sign a declaration, confirming that they meet the
competency criteria and that the information provided in the Report is
accurate to the best of his or her knowledge.
What happens if Ofgem is not satisfied with the Report?
7.108. In order for the installation to be accredited to the RHI, those installations
requiring a Report must have it satisfactorily completed and provided to
Ofgem. If we are not satisfied with all or any portion of a Report, we will
explain our concern to the applicant directly. For example, the Report should
be completed on the template provided. If it is not, we will notify the applicant
that the Report will not be reviewed until it is provided on the template. It is
the applicant‘s responsibility to resolve any problems with the Report and
resubmit a new or amended Report as appropriate. This may require the
applicant to obtain further verification and sign off from the competent person
who completed the initial Report.
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8. Registration for biomethane producers
Chapter Summary
This Chapter sets out the registration requirements for producers of biomethane.
Biomethane as a developing technology
8.1. As few biomethane facilities currently operate within the UK, the technology
and regulatory framework around biomethane production is still developing.
We will therefore seek to introduce more detailed guidance in this area as the
sector develops.
8.2. Here we outline how biomethane producers could demonstrate that they meet
the eligibility criteria in the Regulations. We will review all applications against
the legislative requirements.
8.3. Due to the developing nature of this technology, we advise developers to
contact us early in the process for informal guidance on how legislative
requirements can be met.
Existing regulatory framework
8.4. There is an existing regulatory framework relating to the injection of gas onto
the gas network. For example, the Health and Safety Executive regulate the
health and safety aspects of the entry of gas on to the network. Ofgem also
has a role as the network regulator. All of these regulatory requirements
should be adhered to irrespective of any application for registration under the
RHI. Registration under the RHI should not be regarded as verifying
compliance with any other piece of legislation.
8.5. DECC has produced a guidance document102 for those interested in producing
biomethane for entry on to the network. The document outlines the main
legal, technical and regulatory requirements specific to the gas market in
Great Britain. This will help producers of biogas, who may not have considered
injecting it into the gas grid, to make an informed choice between the various
marketing options.
Biomethane registration eligibility
8.6. Biomethane producers are treated differently to other participants in the RHI.
This is because the Government has decided that the regulations and
102
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/markets/gas_markets/non
convention/nonconvention.aspx
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standards currently in place for biomethane injection are sufficient to ensure
that the RHI requirements are met, so no further RHI-specific accreditation
standards are necessary. As a result, the Regulations describe the process for
biomethane producers as ‗registration‘ rather than accreditation.
8.7. Biomethane is defined in the Energy Act 2008 as ‗biogas which is suitable for
conveyance through pipes to premises in accordance with a licence under
section 7 of the Gas Act 1986 (c.44)(gas transport licence)‘.
8.8. As biogas is derived from biomass, we therefore need assurance at the
registration stage that the biogas is indeed from biomass and not some other
source. This may include, for example, a description of where the feedstocks
came from and what processes the feedstocks have gone through.
8.9. For the gas to be considered ‗suitable for conveyance‘ (or transported in
accordance with a gas transporter‘s licence), it will have to meet the health
and safety criteria (as defined in the transporter‘s Safety Case), regulated by
the Health and Safety Executive, and any consumer protection measures that
have been agreed by our Networks Team and/ or industry (e.g. as laid out in
the Uniform Network Code).
8.10. We will therefore require documentation from the participant to demonstrate
that the biomethane produced meets, or is expected to meet, all of the Health
and Safety Executive requirements on gas safety. We will also require, where
appropriate, evidence that any consumer protection conditions (e.g. relating
to the gross calorific value (GCV) of the gas) have been met, in order for us to
verify that the biomethane produced may be considered ‗suitable for
conveyance‘.
8.11. There is a point at which biogas (which itself is the gas formed by the
conversion of biomass) becomes biomethane under the Regulations. This point
is when the biogas has met all of the conditions required to be ‗suitable for
conveyance‘. For example, biomethane production may involve adding
propane to the biogas in order to alter its GCV or odorising or pressurising the
biogas before it is suitable for conveyance. We therefore consider that, where
more than one entity is involved in producing the biomethane from biogas (or,
ultimately, from biomass), the entity which bears the cost of carrying out the
final production process(es) necessary to bring the biogas within the definition
of biomethane under the Regulations is to be regarded as the ‗producer‘ of
that biomethane for RHI purposes. For example, where a biogas producer
contracts with third parties to ‗upgrade‘ the gas to a form suitable for
conveyance, it would be the biogas producer that was the biomethane
producer for the purposes of the RHI.
8.12. The Regulations103 state that biomethane producers will need to provide
‗details of the process by which the applicant proposes to produce biomethane
and arrange for its injection‘. This is to determine that the party is the
103 Regulations, Part 3, Regulation 25(2)(c)
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producer of the biomethane, and has arranged access for its conveyance
through pipes.
8.13. Further documentation we will therefore ask for at the registration stage to
accompany the application for registration is:
a schematic diagram showing the process of biomethane production from
the biogas plant(s), and the point of entry on to the network, and
extracts of contracts and the Network Entry Agreement with relevant third
parties relating to the agreement to convey the gas on to the pipeline
network.
Assurance
8.14. In order to help ensure compliance with the scheme, we may periodically
require participants to provide an independent, third party verification of their
biomethane production, to confirm that the information provided to Ofgem is
correct and that the biomethane has come from renewable sources.
How to register
8.15. As for all other prospective RHI participants, biomethane producers should
apply to register as a participant under the RHI either through the Ofgem RHI
website or via a paper application for registration. We do not encourage you to
apply using a paper application, as this may take longer for us to process.
8.16. Please note that you are only able to apply for registration once the scheme is
open for applications, currently expected to be before the end of 2011.
8.17. We cannot register an applicant if a grant from public funds has been paid or
will be paid in respect of any of the equipment used to produce the
biomethane for which he wishes to receive payments.
8.18. A grant from ―public funds‖ can be a grant made by a public authority or by a
person who is not a public authority but who is distributing funds on behalf of
a public authority. Our consideration of whether or not a grant has been made
from ―public funds‖ will include grants from Europe, central or devolved
governments and public authorities at regional or local level.
8.19. Ofgem will take a commonsense approach to determining what constitutes a
―public authority‖.
8.20. Ofgem will interpret the ‗equipment used to produce the biomethane‘ in
accordance with Table 3 in the ‗What is an Installation?‘ section above.
8.21. During the registration process, prospective participants will be asked if public
funds have been or will be received in respect of any of the equipment used to
produce biomethane. If you declare that a grant has been, or will be, received
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(whether or not you consider the grant to be for any equipment used to
produce biomethane) we may contact you for further information.
8.22. Participants have an ongoing obligation to notify us if any of the information
provided in support of their application for registration was incorrect. This
includes information relating to the receipt of public funding.
8.23. If we become aware at a later date that the information provided at
registration in relation to grants was incorrect, we will consider taking
enforcement action against the participant. Where we find that incorrect
information was provided intentionally with the purpose of defrauding the
scheme, we will refer the matter to the appropriate authorities. Please see
Volume Two, Chapter Ten of this Guidance for further information on our
approach to non-compliance within the scheme.
8.24. We also cannot register an applicant if it would mean RHI support being paid
to more than one participant for the same biomethane.
8.25. It will be a condition of registration that you must tell us within 28 days of any
change to your circumstances which may affect your eligibility. You may
contact us with this information, or, depending on the information that has
changed, amend your details in your online account. If the new information
you supply affects your eligibility to receive RHI payments we shall notify you
and advise you as to what we intend to do in the circumstances.
8.26. The date of registration for a producer of biomethane means the first day
falling on or after the date of receipt by Ofgem of the application which Ofgem
is satisfied is complete with all required information included. Assuming that
you meet the eligibility criteria of the RHI for biomethane producers, then the
registration date for a postal application would be the date that we received
your completed, signed application.
8.27. Once you are a participant in the scheme, you are able to receive support. We
will send you a statement of eligibility which will include the following:
the date of registration
the applicable tariff rate for the biomethane injected
the process and timing for providing energy measurement data
details of the frequency and timetable for payments
the tariff lifetime and the tariff end date for the tariff payments
the terms and conditions for your ongoing participation in the scheme.
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Fuel measurement and sampling questionnaire
8.28. Participants will be asked to complete a fuel measurement and sampling
(FMS) questionnaire to inform Ofgem of how it will calculate the renewable
proportion of the gas that is injected, what meters are to be used at the
facility and how the GCV and volume are to be measured accurately for the
relevant quarterly period. For further information on the FMS questionnaire,
please see the relevant section in Chapter Four, ‗Ongoing fuel eligibility
requirements‘, in Volume Two of this Guidance.
8.29. The propane measurement approach is also outlined in Chapter Nine, Volume
Two of this Guidance.
8.30. We will agree an appropriate assurance regime with biomethane producers to
allow us to verify that the procedures agreed between us and the biomethane
producers have been followed.
Metering volume
8.31. In your FMS questionnaire, you will be asked to provide information on the
volume meters used at the injection point to measure the volume of gas
entering the network. This information will include how many and what meters
are being used at the injection point, and what the opening meter readings
are on the day the application for registration is made. This may be included
in the contractual or Network Entry Agreement information detailed above.
8.32. Once registered, participants should use the volume meters that are used for
the balancing and settlement and other industry transaction purposes for
measurement of volume in the RHI. These are detailed in the Uniform Network
Code.104
Measuring GCV
8.33. The equipment used for measuring the GCV of the gas for regulatory purposes
(which our Smarter Grids and Governance Team need to agree and approve
for non-RHI purposes) should be used for calculating the weighted average
GCV of the gas over the quarterly period for RHI purposes. This would be
adjusted to standard temperature and pressure.
8.34. Where biomethane producers propose to blend their biomethane with natural
gas prior to injection, we will review the measurement requirements outlined
in the Network Entry Agreement to ensure that the measurement will be
accurate.
8.35. Biomethane producers must deduct any heat used in the production of the
biogas at the plant (where this has come from an external source, such as
104 http://www.gasgovernance.co.uk/UNC
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renewable or fossil fuel gas). Further details of this can be found in Volume
Two of this Guidance.
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Appendices
Index
Appendix Name of Appendix Page Number
1 Meter placement examples 97
2 How to determine whether your CHP system is RHI eligible 113
3 Technologies under consideration for inclusion in phase two 114
4
The complete list of categories from the List of
Wastes that DEFRA have interpreted to be
classed as municipal waste
116
5 Glossary of RHI terms 119
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Appendix 1 – Meter placement examples
1.1. This Appendix provides examples of how the meter placement requirements
outlined in Chapter Seven of this volume could apply in practice. These are
illustrative examples only. Meter configurations which divert from the arrangements
described below may be permissible, but participants could need to provide technical
justification of how the requirements in Chapter Seven are met by their alternative
approach.
1.2. The information in this Appendix is additional information to that provided in
Chapter Seven; the eligibility and other metering requirements set out in that
Chapter still apply. When we refer to ‗heat‘ and ‗steam‘ meters below, we assume
that they are meters that comply with all the relevant technical requirements set out
in Chapter Seven.
1.3. Further information about when and how to provide periodic data, i.e. meter
readings and heat output figures, to us can be found in Chapter Three of Volume Two
of this Guidance. Information about how periodic data is used to calculate payments
is in Chapter Five of Volume Two of this Guidance.
1.4. In order to provide clarity on the meter positioning principles illustrated in this
Chapter, the diagrams displayed here are inherently ‗simplified schematics‘, and do
not illustrate all of the detailed specifications necessary to meet the requirements for
a schematic submitted as part of an RHI application. To give an indication of how
some of the detail required for the schematic submitted for an application might be
depicted, Example 8 (decentralised ineligible plant located on secondary heating
circuits in separate buildings) has been annotated provided with a key, a table of
meter specifications, and with buildings boundaries labelled and annotated.
1.5. The examples provided here show possible meter arrangements where:
1. An installation is classed as ‗simple‘ for RHI metering purposes
2. An installation is classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes and the
heat transfer medium is water
3. An installation is classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes and the
heat transfer medium is steam
4. Multiple plants comprise one installation and share a single meter
5. Two eligible installations are connected in series (in this case, where one
installation pre-heats the water that enters a second installation)
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6. Hot water in a common storage tank is heated by both an ineligible plant
(in this example, an electrical immersion heater) and an eligible
installation
7. Reversible heat pumps generate both heating and cooling
8. Decentralised ineligible plant (in this example, fossil fuel boilers) are
located on secondary heating circuits in separate buildings.
Example 1: Possible meter arrangement for an installation that is classed as
„simple‟ for RHI metering purposes
1.6. Figure 1.1 shows an example where a biomass boiler (eligible installation) and a
back-up gas-fired boiler (ineligible plant) supply hot water to a single office building,
which is then used for space heating purposes within that building only.
1.7. This installation is classed as ‗simple‘ for RHI metering purposes because it is
not a CHP system, does not deliver heat by steam and the heating system delivers
heat only to eligible purposes within one building.
1.8. In this case, one heat meter, HRHI, is required to measure the heat generated by
the eligible installation, as shown below. This takes information from the
temperature sensors TRHI out and TRHI in and the flow meter FRHI.
1.9. The placement of the temperature sensors ensures that heat generated by the
backup gas-fired boiler (ineligible plant) is not included in the meter reading used for
RHI payment purposes.
1.10. The participant would need to supply the cumulative meter reading in kWhth as
shown by the calculator/digital integrator to us in accordance with the timings and
process set out in Chapter Three, ‗Provision of periodic data – heat output data and
supporting meter readings‘, of Volume Two of this Guidance. The participant would
also need to use the cumulative meter readings to calculate the amount of renewable
heat generated by the installation in the relevant period.
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Key
Calculator/Digital
Integrator Flow Meter Temperature sensor
Figure 1.1: Illustration of eligible metering arrangement for a simple installation.
The flow meter can be placed in either the flow or return pipe (red lines denote the
hot ‗flow‘ pipes, and blue lines indicate the cool ‗return‘ pipes).
Example 2: Possible meter arrangement for an installation that is classed as
„complex‟ for RHI metering purposes and the heat transfer medium is water
1.11. Figure 1.2 shows a heating system where a biomass boiler (eligible installation)
and a gas-fired boiler (ineligible plant) supply heat to a common heating system.
The heating system supplies heat that is used for both an eligible purpose and an
ineligible purpose. Further information about what constitutes an eligible/ineligible
purpose can be found in Chapter Six, ‗Heat uses‘, of this volume.
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligible Use (Power generation)
Feedwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
HS
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
HS
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
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1.12. In this case, although the installation is not a CHP system and does not deliver
heat by steam, heat is used for an ineligible purpose as well as an eligible purpose.
This means that the installation is classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes.
1.13. Following the approach for complex metering outlined in Chapter Seven, three
heat meters are required for RHI purposes. These need to be located to measure:
the heat generated by the biomass boiler (eligible installation) – Meter HRHI
the total heat generated by both the biomass boiler and the gas-fired boiler –
Meter Htotal
the heat used for eligible purposes – Meter Heligible
1.14. Figure 1.2 shows a possible meter arrangement. In this case, a participant
would need to supply the cumulative meter reading in kWhth as shown by the
calculator/digital integrator for each meter to us in accordance with the timings and
process set out in Chapter Three of Volume Two of this Guidance.
1.15. This example schematic includes an illustration of the loop provided to
recirculate heat directly to the boiler while bypassing the main heating circuit
(sometimes referred to as the ‗back end loop‘). In line with Chapter Seven of
Volume One of this Guidance, the meter HRHI has been located after the back end
loop.
1.16. Denoting the cumulative meter reading at the start of a period by (1) and that
at the end of the relevant period by (2), the participant would also need to use the
cumulative meter readings to calculate (and provide us with):
the total amount of renewable heat in kWhth generated by the installation during
the relevant period = HRHI(2) - HRHI(1),
the total amount of heat from the heating system that was used for eligible
purposes during the relevant period in kWhth = Heligible(2) – Heligible(1), and
the total amount of heat supplied to the heating system by both the eligible
installation and the ineligible plant during the relevant period in kWhth = Htotal(2)
– Htotal(1).
1.17. Further information about how these figures are used to determine the
payment amount for the relevant period can be found in Chapter Five of Volume Two
of this Guidance.
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I n e l i g i b l e
p l a n t
( G a s f i r e d
B o i l e r )
E l i g i b l e U s e
I n e l i g i b l e U s e
E l i g i b l e
I n s t a l l a t i o n
( B i o m a s s
b o i l e r )
H
H
e l i g i b l e
H
H
R H I
H
H
t o t a l
T
e l i g i b l e i n
T
e l i g i b l e o u t
F
R H I
F
t o t a l
F
e l i g i b l e
T
r e t u r n
T
R H I i n
T
f l o w
T
R H I o u t
Key
Calculator/digital
integrator Flow Meter Temperature sensor
Figure 1.2: Illustration of possible metering arrangement for a complex installation
where the heat transfer medium is a liquid. Note that the flow meter can be placed
in either the flow or return pipe. Red lines denote the hot flow pipes, and blue lines
indicate the cool return pipes.
Example 3: Possible meter arrangement for an installation that is classed as
„complex‟ for RHI metering purposes and the heat transfer medium is steam
1.18. Figure 1.3 shows an example where a biomass boiler and a back-up gas-fired
boiler deliver steam to both an eligible purpose (carrying out a process) and an
ineligible purpose (generating electricity). We assume here that condensate is
returned from the eligible purpose in the form of hot water. The installation is
classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes because the heat transfer medium is
steam (and, in addition, heat is used for an ineligible purpose).
1.19. Steam generated by the installation is directed for feedwater treatment prior to
the eligible use. This is classed as process internal heat, and is therefore not eligible
for RHI support. For further information about process internal heat, please see
Chapter Six of this volume.
1.20. In this example, the following meters would be required:
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligible Use (Power generation)
Fdwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
HS
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
HS
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
102
Steam meter located to measure the heat generated in the form of steam by the
biomass boiler. The flow meter must be placed in the flow pipe, along with the
pressure and temperature sensors. This is meter SRHI in the figure; this meter
references the flow meter FRHI, the pressure sensor Psteam and the temperature
sensor Ttotal (as well as the datum temperature Tdatum).
Steam meter located to measure the heat generated in the form of steam by both
the biomass boiler and the gas-fired boiler. This is meter Stotal in the figure,
which references the flow meter Ftotal, the pressure sensor Psteam and the
temperature sensor Ttotal (as well as the datum temperature Tdatum).
Steam meter located to measure the heat in the form of steam delivered to the
process (i.e. eligible purpose); this should not include any steam returned to the
installation. This is meter Seligible in the figure, which references the flow meter
Feligible, the pressure sensor Peligible and the temperature sensor Teligible (as well as
the datum temperature Tdatum).
Heat meter located after the process (i.e. eligible purpose) to measure the energy
in the condensate returned from the process. In this case, a temperature sensor
must be located in the return pipe from the process, and the other temperature
used in the calculation made by the calculator/digital integrator should be the
datum temperature used by the steam meters, which will typically be 0 degrees.
The flow meter must be positioned prior to the condensate entering any common
pipework or vessels. This is meter Hcondensate in the figure, which references the
flow meter Feligible condensate, and the temperature sensor Tcondensate (as well as
the datum temperature Tdatum).
1.21. In this case, if lower grade steam had been returned from the eligible purpose
(rather than hot water) the heat meter at point 4 above would be replaced by
another steam meter. This would require a separate pressure and temperature
sensor to be added in the return pipe leaving the eligible purpose.
1.22. The steam meters SRHI and Stotal share a pressure and temperature sensor. We
also assume that the feedwater temperature is the same for both the eligible
installation and the ineligible plant, so that measurement of the energy contained in
the feedwater is not required.
1.23. The participant would need to provide cumulative meter readings in kWhth as
shown by the calculator/digital integrator for each meter to us in accordance with the
timings and process set out in Chapter Three of Volume Two of this Guidance.
Denoting the cumulative meter reading at the start of a period by (1) and that at the
end of the relevant period by (2), the participant would also need to use the
cumulative meter readings to calculate:
the total amount of renewable heat generated by the installation during the
relevant period in kWhth = SRHI(2) – SRHI(1);
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
103
the total amount of heat from the heating system that was used for eligible
purposes during the relevant period in kWhth = Seligible(2) – Hcondensate(2) –
[Seligible(1) – Hcondensate(1)];
the total amount of heat supplied to the heating system by both the eligible
installation and the ineligible plant during the relevant period in kWhth = Stotal(2)
– Stotal(1).
H
S
t o t a l
E l i g i b l e
I n s t a l l a t i o n
( B i o m a s s
B o i l e r )
I n e l i g i b l e
P l a n t
( G a s f i r e d
b o i l e r )
E l i g i b l e U s e
I n e l i g i b l e U s e
F e e d w a t e r
t r e a t m e n t
F
e l i g i b l e c o n d e n s a t e
M a k e U p W a t e r
P
P
s t e a m
H
S
R H I
F
R H I
F
t o t a l
F
e l i g i b l e
H
S
e l i g i b l e
H
H
c o n d e n s a t e
T
d a t u m
T
c o n d e n s a t e
T
t o t a l
S
S
S
T
e l i g i b l e
P
P
e l i g i b l e
Key
Steam meter
calculator/digital
integrator
Heat meter
calculator/digital
integrator
Flow
meter
Steam pressure
sensor
Temperature
sensor
Figure 1.3: Illustration of possible steam meter (and component) placement for a
heating system where an eligible biomass boiler and a gas-fired boiler deliver steam
that is used for both an eligible and ineligible purpose. Condensate in the form of
hot water is returned from the eligible purpose.
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligible Use (Power generation)
Feedwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
H
S
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
H
S
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligible Use (Power generation)
Feedwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
H
S
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
H
S
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
104
Example 4: Multiple plants comprising a single installation share a meter
1.24. Figure 1.4 shows an eligible installation comprised of three RHI-eligible
biomass boilers supplying heat to a single heating system. In this example, the
biomass boilers are considered as component plants which together make up one
installation whose capacity is the sum of each individual boiler‘s capacity for RHI
tariff purposes. They share the same tariff start and end dates.
1.25. The boilers are not CHP systems, and supply heat in the form of hot water for
space heating in one office block. This is therefore a simple installation for RHI
metering purposes, and so only the heat generated by the eligible installation needs
to be measured. In this case, it is possible for all three boilers to be metered using
one meter, HRHI, providing that meter is placed:
before the heat from the gas boiler enters the system, and
before any heat is supplied from the system to the eligible use (space heating in
this case).
1.26. As in Example 1, the participant would need to supply the cumulative meter
reading in kWhth as shown by the calculator/digital integrator to us in accordance
with the timings and process set out in Chapter Three of Volume Two of this
Guidance. The participant would also need to use the cumulative meter readings to
calculate the amount of renewable heat in kWhth generated by the installation in the
relevant period.
Key
Calculator/Digital
Integrator
Flow Meter
Temperature sensor
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligible Use (Power generation)
Feedwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
H
S
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
H
S
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
105
Figure 1.4: Illustrative example of a situation where a shared meter would be
permitted. This installation would be classed as ‗simple‘ for RHI metering purposes.
Example 5: Two eligible installations in series
1.27. In this example, a heat pump (eligible installation 1) pre-heats water delivered
to a biomass boiler (eligible installation 2). Apart from this, this is the same system
configuration as the heating system shown in Figure 1.2. Note that the owner or
owners of the installation must apply for accreditation under separate RHI
applications, and separate accreditation and ongoing obligations will be associated
with each installation. Note that one implication of this is that separate schematic
diagrams, appropriately annotated for each installation and indicating the plant for
which RHI payments are being sought, should be submitted.
1.28. Both the heat pump and the biomass boiler are complex installations for RHI
metering purposes, as the heating system of which they form part delivers heat to
both an eligible purpose and an ineligible purpose. In this case, the following meters
are required:
1. A heat meter to measure the heat generated by each eligible installation. In
this example, a shared meter is not allowed because the installations use
different energy sources and will therefore have different tariff rates.
However, heat meters may reference common components to provide them
with the required information for their heat calculations. In this example, the
heat meters determining the heat generated by the biomass boiler and the
heat pump both reference the temperature sensor ‗TRHI interim‘ and the flow
meter ‗FRHI‘.
The hot water generated by the heat pump is measured by a heat meter
(HHP), which uses the flow meter FRHI and temperature sensors TRHI in and TRHI
interim located in the heat pump‘s input pipe and in the output pipe prior to the
hot water entering the biomass boiler respectively.
The hot water generated by the biomass boiler is also measured by a heat
meter (HBB), which uses the flow meter FRHI and the temperature sensors TRHI
interim and TRHI out located in the biomass boiler‘s input pipe after the heat
pump, and in the biomass boiler‘s output pipe prior to the hot water
generated by the gas-fired boiler entering the heating system respectively.
2. A heat meter to measure the total heat generated by both the biomass boiler
and the gas-fired boiler, Htotal.
3. A heat meter to measure the heat used for eligible purposes, Heligible.
1.29. The participant would need to supply the cumulative meter reading in kWhth as
shown by the calculator/digital integrator for each meter to us separately for each
eligible installation (i.e. one set of periodic data would be submitted for the heat
pump, and a separate set for the biomass boiler). For each installation, this
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
106
information must be submitted in accordance with the timings and process set out in
Chapter Three of Volume Two of this Guidance.
1.30. Denoting the cumulative meter reading at the start of a period by (1) and that
at the end of the relevant period by (2), and assuming that the periods over which
data is submitted are the same for both installations, the participant would need to
use the cumulative meter readings to calculate:
the total amount of renewable heat generated by that installation during the
relevant period = HHP(2) – HHP(1) for the heat pump or HBB(2) – HBB(1) for the
biomass boiler;
the total amount of heat from the heating system that was used for eligible
purposes during the relevant period = Heligible(2)-Heligible(1), and
the total amount of heat supplied to the heating system by both the eligible
installations and the ineligible plant during the relevant period = Htotal(2) –
Htotal(1).
Key
Calculator/Digital
Integrator
Flow Meter
Temperature sensor
Figure 1.5: illustration of permissible heat meter locations for a system where a heat
pump (eligible installation 1) pre-heats water delivered to a biomass boiler (eligible
installation 2).
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligible Use (Power generation)
Feedwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
H
S
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
H
S
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
107
Example 6: Hot water in a common storage tank is heated by both an
ineligible plant and an eligible installation
1.31. It is common, particularly in systems where hot water is generated by solar
thermal installations and heat pumps, for hot water storage tanks to have the facility
for direct heating from an electrical immersion heater.
1.32. This is permissible for the RHI, providing no heat generated by the immersion
heater is included in meter readings provided to Ofgem for RHI purposes. This
means that temperature sensors must be placed to measure hot water generated
prior to entering the storage tank where the hot water is mixed with water heated
by the immersion heater. This may mean that temperature sensors TRHI in and TRHI out
must be placed on the flow and return pipes from the eligible installation.
1.33. A permissible configuration is shown in Figure 1.6 below. This installation is
classed as simple for RHI metering purposes, as heat is supplied by hot water to two
eligible uses (hot water and space heating) in a single school building (and the
installation is not a CHP system and does not deliver heat by steam). Therefore, one
heat meter, HRHI, is required to measure the hot water generated by the solar
thermal installation.
1.34. If the flow and return pipes from the solar thermal installation contain an
ethylene glycol/water mixture or any other liquid, the Regulations require that the
meter is appropriately calibrated for the properties of that liquid.
Key
Calculator/Digital
Integrator
Flow Meter
Temperature sensor
Figure 1.6: Illustration of permissible meter placements for a simple solar installation
that feeds a hot water tank which is also supplied with heat by an electrical
immersion heater.
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligible Use (Power gneration)
Feedwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
H
S
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
H
S
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
108
Example 7: A reversible heat pump that generates both heating and cooling
1.35. Many heat pumps can operate in reverse to generate cooling in the warmer
months. Such heat pumps are eligible for the RHI, but must be metered such that it
is possible to calculate the cooling and heating generated separately. Only the heat
generated by the heat pumps can be included in the meter readings submitted to
Ofgem for RHI payment purposes.
1.36. Some heat pump installations will operate on a ‗sliding header‘105, as shown in
Figure 1.7 below.
1.37. In this example, all heat is provided for hot water and space heating in one
building, and so the installation is classed as simple for RHI metering purposes. The
installation is comprised of four reversible ground source heat pumps which all have
the same tariff start and end dates. Therefore, they may use a shared meter to
measure the total heat generated by the installation, and so only one heat meter is
required.
1.38. The flow meter can be placed in either the flow or return pipe. However, in this
case the temperature sensors must be located in the flow and return pipes for the
heating header to ensure that only heat that is eligible for the RHI is included in the
meter readings provided for Ofgem for RHI payment purposes. If all the heat pumps
in the installation are generating cooling, there should be no flow in the heating
circuit as no eligible renewable heat is being generated.
1.39. Only heat recovered from the ground loops is eligible for RHI support. Any
heat recovered from the cooling system and supplied to the heating system is
ineligible for RHI purposes. This is because extracting heat from the cooling system
is an efficiency measure; it is not heat from a renewable source. Any such heat must
therefore be excluded from meter readings provided for RHI purposes, and meters
must be positioned accordingly.
105 In a system with both cold and hot headers (i.e. pipes into which the heat pumps can feed
either cold or hot water), the sliding header is what determines which header the heat from
the heat pump is feeding in to. The location of the header will change depending on the
amount of heating vs. cooling that is required.
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
109
Key
Calculator/Digital
Integrator
Flow Meter
Temperature
sensor
Isolation valve
Figure 1.7: Illustration of permissible meter placement for a simple installation where
four heat pumps deliver both heating and cooling on a sliding header. In this case,
two heat pumps are supplying the heating circuit, and the other two are supplying
the cooling circuit.
Example 8: Possible meter arrangement for an installation with
decentralised ineligible plant (in this example, fossil fuel boilers) located on
secondary heating circuits in separate buildings
1.40. Figure 1.8 shows a heating system where a biomass boiler (eligible installation)
supplies heat to two separate buildings. As heat is used in more than one building,
the installation is classed as ‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes.
1.41. In this case, the heating system supplies heat that is used for space heating
each building, such that all heat use within each building is for eligible purposes.
Further information about what constitutes an eligible/ineligible purpose can be
found in Chapter Six, ‗Heat uses‘, of this Volume.
1.42. Each building has its own heat exchanger taking heat from the common
heating circuit supplied by the installation, and a gas-fired boiler (ineligible plant)
used as a back-up boiler and to provide top-up heat as required. In this case,
although the installation is not a CHP system and does not deliver heat by steam,
heat is used in more than one building. This means that the installation is classed as
‗complex‘ for RHI metering purposes.
Eligible
Installation
(Biomass
Boiler)
Ineligible
Installation
(Gas fired
boiler)
Eligible Use (Process heat)
Ineligble Use (Powr generation)
Feedwater
treatment
F
eligible condensate
Make Up Water
P
P
steam
H
S
RHI
Natural Gas
Biomass
F
RHI
F
total
H
S
total
F
eligible
H
S
eligible
H
H
condensate
T
condensate
T
T
steam
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
110
1.43. Section ‗Alternative approach where separate heating circuits are fed by a
common distribution system‘ in Chapter Seven of this Volume may apply in a
situation such as this, where separate heating circuits are fed by a common
distribution system. We may consider proposals to measure the eligible heat
delivered to this building using a single meter, where:
Heat is supplied to a building via a heat exchanger, such that the building has a
heat distribution system separate to the main distribution loop served by an
installation; and
There are no ineligible uses within the building; and
The meter is capable of capturing only heat used for eligible purposes, i.e. it must
not include any heat used for ineligible purposes; and
It can be demonstrated that any heating plant(s) within the building make no
contribution to providing heat for any use outside of the building which they
serve.
1.44. In this case, the term in the tariff calculation formula for heat generated by all
plants supplying heat to the same heating system of which the installation forms
part, would not include heat generated by plants within this building. For more
details on how payments are calculated, see Chapter Five of Volume Two of this
Guidance.
1.45. Assuming the above conditions are met, three heat meters are required for RHI
purposes. These need to be located to measure:
the heat generated by the biomass boiler (eligible installation) – Meter HRHI
the total heat used for eligible purposes by the ‗main building‘ – HA
the total heat used for eligible purposes by the ‗outbuilding‘ – HB
1.46. Figure 1.8 shows a possible meter arrangement. In this case, a participant
would need to supply the cumulative meter reading in kWhth as shown by the
calculator/digital integrator for each meter to us in accordance with the timings and
process set out in Chapter Three of Volume Two of this Guidance.
1.47. Denoting the cumulative meter reading at the start of a period by (1) and that
at the end of the relevant period by (2), the participant would also need to use the
cumulative meter readings to calculate (and provide us with):
the total amount of renewable heat in kWhth generated by the installation during
the relevant period = HRHI(2) - HRHI(1).
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
111
the total amount of heat from the heating system that was used for eligible
purposes during the relevant period in kWhth = (HA(2) – HA(1)) + (HB(2) –
HB(1)), and
the total amount of heat supplied to the heating system by both the eligible
installation and the ineligible plant during the relevant period in kWhth = HRHI(2)
– HRHI(1).
1.48. Note that in this case, the total heat supplied to the system is equal to that
supplied by the eligible installation, as there are no other plants supplying heat to
the heating system. As these quantities are the same, the meter HRHI will provide
appropriate readings for both ―heat generated by the RHI installation‖ and ―total heat
generated on the system‖ in the complex formula for payment. For more details on
how payments are calculated, see Chapter Five of Volume Two of this Guidance.
Note that although these quantities are the same value, and this may in general
result in a simplification of the tariff payment formula, it will still be necessary to
provide a meter reading in order to meet the ongoing obligations of the scheme.
1.49. Further information about how these figures are used to determine the
payment amount for the relevant period can be found in Chapter Five of Volume Two
of this Guidance.
Figure 1.8: Illustration of possible metering arrangement for a complex installation
where decentralised ineligible plants (in this example, fossil fuel boilers) are located
E l i g i b l e
b i o m a s s
b o i l e r
B o i l e r p u m p
H
H
R H I
H
H
B
T
R H I , f l o w
T
R H I , r e t u r n
F l o w
R H I , r e t u r n
O u t b u i l d i n g B
H
H
A
M a i n h o u s e A
E l i g i b l e u s e
T
B , f l o w
T
B , r e t u r n
F l o w
B , r e t u r n
E l i g i b l e u s e
I n e l i g i b l e
H e a t i n g
P l a n t
B o i l e r h o u s e
T
A , f l o w
T
A , r e t u r n
F l o w
A , r e t u r n
N o t e : I l l u s t r a t i o n f o r i n d i c a t i v e p u r p o s e s o n l y . N o t a
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f a r e a l s y s t e m . S e l e c t e d
c o m p o n e n t s h a v e b e e n o m i t t e d f o r c l a r i t y .
L a b e l
D e s c r i p -
t i o n
M a n u -
f a c t u r e r M o d e l S e r i a l #
H
A
H e a t m e t e r -
m a i n h o u s e
M a k e r X X X
M e t e r
A B C - 1 2 3
F l o w m e t e r
A B C -
12345678
H
B
H e a t m e t e r -
o u t b u i l d i n g
M a k e r X X X
M e t e r
A B C - 1 2 3
F l o w m e t e r
A B C -
87654321
H
RHI
H e a t m e t e r -
b i o m a s s
b o i l e r
M a k e r X X X
M e t e r
A B C - 3 2 1
F l o w m e t e r
A B C -
12345679
M e te r s p e c i fi c a ti o n s
H
T
R H I , r e t u r n
B o i l e r I n t e g r a t o r
F l o w m e t e r
T e m p e r a t u r e
s e n s o r
H e a t
e x c h a n g e r
V a l v e
H e a t m e t e r
K E Y
C h e c k v a l v e
( n o n - r e t u r n )
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
112
on secondary heating circuits in separate buildings. Note that the flow meter can be
placed in either the flow or return pipe. Red lines denote the hot flow pipes, and
blue lines indicate the cool return pipes. This schematic has been annotated with a
key, a table of meter specifications, and building names/boundaries, as discussed in
Section 1.4 of this Appendix.
Renewable Heat Incentive Guidance
Volume One: Eligibility and how to apply
113
Appendix 2 – How to determine whether
your CHP system is RHI eligible
The figure below demonstrates how you can determine the eligibility of your CHP
system.
I s t h e
p la n t a
C H P
s y s t e m ?
Y e s Y e s
Y e s t o b o t h
q u e s t io n s ?
No
I n e lig ib le
N o t o
e it h e r
q u e s t io n s ?
E lig ib le
Do e s it g e n e r a t e h e a t a n d
e le c t r ic it y e it h e r
a) fr o m bi og a s w it h a n
in s t a lla t io n c a p a c it y o f le s s
t h a n 2 0 0 k W t h a n d w h ic h
d o e s n o t g e n e r a t e h e a t fr o m
s o lid b io m a s s O R
b) fr o m g e ot he r m a l s our c e s , i. e .
u t ilis in g n a t u r a lly o c c u r r in g
e n e r g y lo c a t e d a n d e x t r a c t e d
fr o m a t le a s t 5 0 0 m b e n e a t h
t h e s u r fa c e o f s o lid e a r t h ?
N o t o b o t h
q u e s t io n s ?
I n e lig ib le
Y e s t o e it h e r
q u e s t io n ?
I s t h e p la n t a c c r e d it e d u n d e r t h e
R O O 2 0 0 9 o r t h e R O O ( Sc o t la n d )
2 0 0 9 A N D is it o r h a s it a t a n y
t im e s in c e it w a s s o a c c r e d it e d
b e e n a “ q u a lif y in g c o m b in e d
h e a t a n d p o w e r g e n e r a t in g
s t a t io n ” , w h ic h in p r a c t ic e
m e a n s it is c e r t ifie d u n d e r t h e
C H P Q A a n d is s u e d w it h a RO C
e lig ib le c e r t ific a t e ?
E lig ib le
Do e s it g e n e r a t e h e a t a n d
e le c t r ic it y e it h e r
a ) fr o m s ol i d bi om a s s , w h e r e
t h e h e a t fr o m t h e s o lid
b io m a s s is g e n e r a t e d u s in g
e q u ip m e n t s p e c ific a lly
d e s ig n e d a n d in s t a lle d t o u s e
s o lid b io m a s s a s it s o n ly
p r im a r y fu e l s o u r c e O R
b ) fr o m s ol i d bi om a s s
c ont a i ne d i n m uni c i pa l w a s t e ?
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Appendix 3 – Technologies under
consideration for inclusion in phase two
As noted in Chapter Three, the table below discusses the technologies DECC have
stated that they are considering for inclusion in phase two but are not currently
eligible for the RHI.
Technologies under consideration for inclusion in the scheme in phase two
Air source
heat pumps
Air source heat pumps will not be supported from the outset. The
Government has decided that more work is required to better
understand the costs associated with the technology. Also, for air to
air heat pumps, as described below (Direct air heating), the
Government has not yet developed a means of measuring direct air
heating, as they have for water and steam. The Government is
investigating whether to extend eligibility for air to water source
heat pumps in phase two.
Direct air
heating
The Government has decided that technologies delivering
renewable heat directly through hot/warm air will not be supported
in the RHI from the outset. This means technologies such as ground
or water source to air heat pumps; biomass kilns; furnaces; ovens
and air heaters will not be able to claim the RHI. The Government
is considering how these technologies could be included in the RHI
in phase two.
Bioliquids
Bioliquids will not be eligible for support from the outset of the RHI.
The Government has stated that before they can support bioliquids
in the RHI, it will be necessary to put in place a co-ordinated
approach so that the supply of liquid feedstocks into the heat
market does not unduly impact on other important uses, including
energy and non-energy uses. Sustainability criteria, as required
under the Renewable Energy Directive, will also need to be
developed before bioliquids can be supported under the RHI. An
evaluation of the costs and benefits of the use of bioliquids in heat,
electricity and transport is underway and this will inform the
development of a co-ordinated approach to bioliquids. The
Government is therefore considering supporting bioliquids in phase
two.
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Landfill gas
The Government is still working to consider the costs of biogas or
biomethane injection from landfill gas. In many cases this concerns
landfill gas sites which are already producing electricity, and would
likely have lower costs of switching to heat or biomethane than
other biogas options. The Government has decided it would
therefore not be appropriate to include landfill gas within the
general tariff for biomethane pending the outcome of their work on
landfill gas.
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Appendix 4 – List of Wastes that DEFRA
has concluded are or are not classified as
municipal waste: The complete list
As noted in Chapter Five of this Volume, there are two tables below that concern the
List of Wastes. Table 1 shows examples of the categories DEFRA has concluded are
classified as municipal waste and Table 2 shows examples of the categories DEFRA
has concluded are not classified as municipal waste.
Table 1: Examples of the categories from the List of Wastes that DEFRA has
concluded are classified as municipal waste (this list is not exhaustive)
Chapter of List of
Wastes
Codes from the List of
Wastes classed as
municipal waste
Examples of wastes classed
as municipal waste (list not
exhaustive)
Chapter 20 –
Municipal wastes
(household waste
and similar
commercial,
industrial and
institutional waste)
including separately
collected fractions
All codes
Paper and cardboard
Biodegradable kitchen
and canteen waste
Glass
Textiles
Plastics
Metals
Garden and park waste
Chapter 19 – Wastes
from waste
management
facilities, off-site
waste water
treatment plants and
the preparation of
water intended for
human consumption
and water for
industrial use
Code 19 05 - Wastes from
aerobic treatment of solid
wastes
Non-composted fraction
of municipal and similar
wastes
Non-composted fraction
of animal and vegetable
waste
Code 19 06 – Wastes from
anaerobic treatment of
waste
Digestate from anaerobic
treatment of municipal
waste
Digestate from anaerobic
treatment of animal and
vegetable waste
Code 19 12 – Wastes from
Paper and cardboard
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Table 2: Examples of the categories from the List of Wastes that DEFRA have
concluded are not to be classed as municipal waste (this list is not exhaustive)
Example chapters
and codes (list
not exhaustive)
Example codes not
being classed as
municipal waste
Examples of wastes not
classed as municipal waste
(list not exhaustive)
Chapter 2 – Wastes
from agriculture,
horticulture,
aquaculture,
forestry, hunting
and fishing, food
preparation and
processing
Code 02 01 – Wastes
from agriculture,
horticulture, aquaculture,
forestry, hunting and
fishing
Sludges from washing and
cleaning
Wastes from forestry
Chapter 3 – Wastes
from wood
processing and the
production of panels
and furniture, pulp,
paper and
cardboard
Code 03 01 – Wastes
from wood processing
and the production of
panels and furniture
Sawdust, shavings, wood,
particle board and veneer
Chapter 15 – Waste
packaging;
absorbents, wiping
cloths, filter
materials and
Code 15 01 03 Wooden packaging
the mechanical treatment
of waste (for example
sorting, crushing,
compacting, pelletising)
not otherwise specified
Ferrous metal
Wood
Combustible waste
(refuse derived fuel)
Chapter 15 – Waste
packaging;
absorbents, wiping
cloths, filter
materials and
protective clothing
not otherwise
specified
Code 15 01 01
Paper and cardboard
packaging
Code 15 01 02
Plastic packaging
Codes 15 01 05 – 15 01
09
Mixed packaging
Textile packaging
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protective clothing
not otherwise
specified
Chapter 17 –
Construction and
demolition wastes
(including
excavated soil from
contaminated sites)
Code 17 01 – Concrete,
bricks, tiles and ceramics Concrete
Bricks
Tiles and ceramics
Chapter 19 –
Wastes from waste
management
facilities, off-site
waste water
treatment plants
and the preparation
of water intended
for human
consumption and
water for industrial
use
Code 19 07 – landfill
leachate Landfill leachate
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Appendix 5 – Glossary of RHI terms
A
ACCREDITATION
In order to receive support under the RHI, an eligible installation will have to be
accredited by Ofgem. Accreditation (which is defined in the Regulations) is the term
that we use to denote admission by us of an applicant to the RHI once we determine
that the installation meets the eligibility criteria of the scheme and that the
application for accreditation is properly made.
ADDITIONAL RHI CAPACITY
Additional RHI capacity, which is defined in the Regulations, means a plant which is
first commissioned after the date on which an RHI installation was first
commissioned, uses the same source of energy and technology as the original plant
and supplies heat to the same heating system.
ADDITIONAL PLANT
Additional plant means a heat generating plant which uses a different technology or
source of energy to an existing accredited RHI installation but is connected to the
same heating system as the accredited RHI installation.
ANCILLARY FOSSIL FUEL
Ancillary fossil fuel refers to the small amounts of fossil fuel necessary for the
effective operation of the installation.
ANNUAL DECLARATION
The annual declaration is a confirmation that must be signed by the Authorised
Signatory to confirm that the accredited RHI installation/registered biomethane
producer has met the eligibility criteria and ongoing obligations of the scheme for the
previous 12 months.
AUTHORISED SIGNATORY
An Authorised Signatory is a person who is authorised to open and use an account
with the Ofgem RHI website or provide information by post, submit periodic data and
complete the RHI annual declaration.
B
BIOENERGY
This term is used as shorthand for any of the following technologies: solid biomass,
solid biomass from municipal waste, biogas, biomethane.
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C
CHP
‗CHP‘ is defined in the Regulations and refers to a Combined Heat and Power plant.
COMMISSIONED
This means, in relation to an eligible installation, that all tests required by industry
standards for the installation to be able to deliver heat for the purpose for which it
was installed have been completed. For a legal definition, please see the Regulations.
COMMON HEADER
This is the main pipe to which plants supply heat, and from which heat uses are
supplied. A heating system may have multiple common headers.
COMPLEX INSTALLATION
A complex installation is any installation that is not considered simple.
F
FLOW PIPE
The pipe carrying the hot water flow leaving an installation or heat use is commonly
referred to as the flow pipe.
FUEL MEASUREMENT AND SAMPLING (FMS)
The term ‗fuel measurement and sampling‘ (FMS) refers to the way in which the
renewable biomass proportions of input fuels are determined. By ‗measurement‘, we
mean determining the amount or quantity of a fuel (for example in tonnes or cubic
meters). By ‗sampling‘, we mean taking small sample amounts of fuel and testing
them to determine specific properties such as their GCV.
I
INSTALLATION CAPACITY
The installation capacity is defined in the Regulations as the ‗total installed peak heat
output capacity of a plant‘ (which includes the ‗total installed peak heat output
capacity‘ of a single plant (installation) made up of two or more component plants).
K
KILOWATTS (kW)
A kilowatt is a measure of power i.e. the rate at which energy is transferred or
converted. A kilowatt is equal to 1 kilojoule of energy transferred/converted each
second.
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KILOWATT-HOURS (kWh)
A kilowatt-hour is the measure of energy transferred or converted over a period of
time. A kilowatt-hour is equal to the amount of energy generated by an installation
with a power capacity of 1kW in an hour or an installation with a power capacity of
2kW in a half-hour etc.
N
NOMINATED INDIVIDUAL
An individual within an organisation nominated to act on the organisation‘s behalf in
relation to the RHI.
O
ONGOING OBLIGATIONS
Ongoing obligations refer to the obligations that need to be met to remain accredited
or registered to the scheme. The term is defined in the Regulations.
P
PARTICIPANT
A participant is defined in the Regulations as either the owner of an accredited RHI
installation, a representative owner or a producer of biomethane who has registered
with the Authority to receive the RHI. In practice this means that once the owner or
representative owner of an eligible installation or a biomethane producer receives
accreditation or registration respectively to the RHI scheme, he/she will be referred
to as a participant in the RHI scheme.
PERIODIC SUPPORT PAYMENTS
RHI support will be delivered to participants in the form of quarterly ‗periodic support
payments‘, the term being defined in the Regulations.
PERIODIC DATA
Periodic data is the information participants will need to submit on a regular basis as
an ongoing obligation, and in order for Ofgem to calculate the appropriate payment.
R
RENEWABLE HEAT INCENTIVE
The Renewable Heat Incentive is a Government environmental programme designed
to provide long-term financial support to renewable heat installations to encourage
the uptake of renewable heat.
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RENEWABLE HEAT PREMIUM PAYMENT
The Renewable Heat Premium Payment is a separate, complementary grant scheme
to the RHI. It will provide a one-off payment to eligible domestic generators of
renewable heat for the interim period before eligible domestic generators will be able
to apply for the RHI.
REPRESENTATIVE OWNER
Where there is more than one owner of an accredited RHI installation, the owner
with the authority to act on behalf of all owners is referred to as the representative
owner.
RETURN PIPE
The pipe carrying the cool liquid flow returning from an installation or heat use is
commonly referred to as the return pipe.
S
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
The schematic diagram is an illustration of the installation and heating system for
which RHI accreditation is being applied for.
SIMPLE INSTALLATION
A simple installation is an installation which is not a CHP system, does not deliver
heat by steam, does not supply heat to an ineligible purpose, and uses the heat
generated in one building.
T
THERMOCOUPLE
Electronic sensor for measuring the temperature of pipework at a given position.
