Monitoring renewable energy
Capturing data on renewable energy developments
Most local authorities in the south west do not have a formal data monitoring system set up to identify renewable energy projects. Local authorities are however required to report on core output indicator E3: Renewable Energy Capacity [local level] and are requested to provide information to DECC on the planning and commissioning status of renewable energy projects as part of the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD) [national level monitoring].
The establishment of a formal data-gathering system at the local authority level would help this reporting process. It could be linked to existing development control databases and the DECC Renewable Energy Planning Database. It is important that a single nominated officer takes responsibility for the management of the data so that all relevant departments within the local authority can feed information through to a single point of contact. This officer should also be the main point of contact for the provision of data to REPD.
A summary of data that should be gathered by local authorities to meet the requirements of the DECC REPD and core output indicator E3 is set out in below:
Renewable energy applications – data requirements
- Planning application number
- Technology type – reported in line with the RESTATS classifications (Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2008)
- Applicant and/or developer
- Project name
- Site address (including, County, Country, Region, Local Authority, Postal Code)
- Grid reference
- Installed capacity of application in megawatts See here
- Installed capacity in megawatts of operational renewable energy development
- Application status (e.g. approved, refused, submitted, withdrawn, scoping)
- Reasons for refusal (if relevant)
- Post consent status – (awaiting construction, under construction, operational, abandoned)
- Planning application dates (submitted, determined, operational (if relevant))
- Planning officer recommendation
- Planning and/or environmental designations on or near site – eg SSSI, SPA, National Park, AONB etc (if relevant)
Data should be gathered on both renewable electricity and renewable heat projects.
Installations with Permitted Development Rights
Core output indicator E3 does not require local authorities to report on renewable energy installations which fall under Permitted Development Rights. This information is notoriously difficult to obtain as installers are not required to notify local authorities when they are installing small-scale renewable energy units which fall under PDR.
In the future, it is anticipated that micro-generation linked to existing or new development is likely to make a significant contribution to renewable energy targets and therefore it is important to try to quantify this contribution. It is hoped that with the implementation of the Renewables Heat Incentive (RHI) and the Feed-In Tariffs (FITS), central registers from these initiatives could be used as the main source of data on microreneables. Regen SW are in discussions with DECC and OFGEM to encourage these registers to be made available for use by the regions and local authorities.
Analysing and reporting data on renewable projects
To meet the requirements of core output indicator E3 and to be consistent with national and regional renewable energy reporting, data on renewable energy projects should take the following form and content:
- installed capacity should be reported for:
(a) renewable energy developments or installations granted planning permission
(b) completed renewable energy developments or installations
- only on-shore renewable energy developments or installations should be reported. This does not include any developments or installations permitted by a general development order
- installed capacity should be reported in megawatts and reported in line with the current DECC RESTATS classifications - see above
