Updates to the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

With the introduction of a new scheme for householders, and changes to the current non-domestic payments, the Renewable Heat Incentive can get a little overwhelming. Hopefully our blog posts can help break things down a little, with this post covering the recent changes to the non-domestic RHI.

Regulatory changes to the non-domestic RHI came into play on 24^th September 2013 in the hope that the RHI could provide a much simpler means of testing for eligibility.

The two main changes are:

1. The simplification of metering requirements:

• OFGEM now require only the minimum number of meters in order to calculate RHI payments
• Heat loss from external pipe work will now be disregarded in certain circumstances
• Applicants who can prove that it is either physically or financially burdensome to install a heat meter, will instead be allowed to submit a heat loss calculation instead of installing additional meters.

 2. Increased air quality requirements for biomass boilers:

• Applicants with biomass boilers must now meet any Air Quality requirements
• This means that to qualify, an RHI emission certificate or a valid environmental permit must be submitted alongside the application
• The installer of the system should be able to provide the RHI emission certificate for the system

Further changes and improvements to the non-domestic scheme include:

• Allowing heat to be used for processes other than in a building in certain circumstances
• Allowing accredited installations to be relocated, as long as the installation meets all necessary requirements at its new location
• Allowing installations that were used by an installer to gain their Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation to be eligible for the RHI