Construction and solar industry workers visit Prime Minister to demand ‘green collar’ jobs on eve of budget.
Representatives of the green construction sector delivering their letter to Number 10
Monday 20th April, 2009: A group representing construction workers from UK businesses will today deliver a letter to the Prime Minister at Number 10 Downing Street to highlight their urgent need for ‘green collar’ work. On the day before the Government’s budget announcement, the group includes individuals representing roofers, builders, electricians and architects, demonstrating the variety of skills available and ready for a green collar economic recovery, as taking place in countries across the world. The sectors want to benefit from a ‘green budget’ with investment in renewable energy such as solar power, as their peers do in Europe where government market-building programmes are far advanced in comparison to the UK’s. This follows the Conservative party’s recent call for a £30 billion green technology recovery, emphasising the role for solar energy in creating clean energy for new and existing buildings. The group is calling specifically for the government to allocate more Low Carbon Buildings Programme cash to satisfy the current demand for solar photovoltaics across the UK.
As part of the campaign ‘We Support Solar’, the construction workers, backed by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, Federation of Master Builders, Electrical Contractors Association, Architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and UK Photovoltaic Manufacturers Association, will ask for a serious commitment to solar power in the budget. Solar photovoltaics in the UK has the potential to deliver over 100,000 British construction jobs by 2020. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates PV job creation at 7 to 11 per MWp of solar power installed; this figure is supported by the German solar experience, where over 50,000 jobs have been created since 2000.
Ray Horwood, Chief Executive, National Federation of Roofing Contractors said: “The time has come for roofs to be active parts of a building to help meet the national CO2 targets, to provide a viable solution to meet challenging future building regulations, and to support a generation of new jobs for roofers who are eager to become involved in the emerging green economy. A serious approach to solar will help tackle the triple challenge of credit, energy and climate. Roofers want to be involved in this energy revolution. ”
Giuliano Digilio, Head of Technical Services, Electrical Contractors Association said: “Creating an energy efficient and renewably powered building stock is vital for UK CO2 reduction, and electrical engineers and electricians across the country want to take part in this challenge. We want to see effective specification, installation and commissioning of renewables, as well as the improvement of overall electricity use in buildings. We call on the Government to incentivise this as a priority, and it can start by maintaining demand for solar power and thus increase chances for electrical engineers and electricians to diversify their skills in this area. The electrical industry is ready and wants green jobs now.”
Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs, Federation of Master Builders said: “The UK PV Association estimates that 100,000 so-called ‘green collar’ solar jobs could be created by a truly green strategy. We need the Government to stop making the right noises and instead act now to create a greener, more sustainable future for the UK. The Government has set its self a target of cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and if it is to have any hope of doing this it needs to have a clear strategy for our existing homes, which are responsible for 27 per cent of the UK’s emissions. The benefits of such a strategy would not be limited to the environment; homeowners would benefit from more energy efficient homes through lower energy bills. The building industry would also benefit greatly as new jobs would be created to carry out the work required in making homes more energy efficient.”
Marigold Webster, Partner, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, RIBA Stirling Prize Award winning architects practice, said: “We support the call by the UK PV Association for the government to allocate more Low Carbon Buildings Programme cash to satisfy the current demand for solar photovoltaics across the UK. Solar thermal and photovoltaic panels form an important part of the ‘menu’ of renewable sources available to housing designers and the need to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes requirements. Expertise in the area of solar power can best be further advanced through specification, installation and performance monitoring on real projects. The renewable energy supply industry, together with many design and construction professionals are now very familiar with the technologies – and able to design, specify and install these systems with knowledge and expertise.”
The group visiting the Prime Minister includes the Executive Chairman of the UK’s largest solar energy company, Jeremy Leggett from Solarcentury, delivering an letter of ‘urgent intervention’ from the UK solar energy industry. Jeremy Leggett of Solarcentury said: “when I was asked to address the Prime Ministers jobs summit just three short months ago Cabinet Ministers assured me personally that green jobs and investment would lie at the very heart of the Government’s recovery programme. Solar PV in the UK has the potential to deliver over 100,000 British jobs by 2020. And yet a few short weeks later the reality is that we are once again scrabbling about trying to patch up an under funded grant scheme, pleading with Ed Miliband’s officials to shuffle a few million here and a few million there, and banging our heads against a brick wall of departmental delay and disinterest. The UK can ill afford to lose a single skilled solar engineer or electrician but the Government appears to be sleep-walking to a green tech job loss disaster of its own making. Where is the urgency and the political will to sort this out?”
Andrew Lee of Sharp UK and the UK PV Manufacturers Association said: “The ongoing suspension of all PV grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 backdated to February 13th has plunged the UK PV industry yet again into a state of needless uncertainty and disarray. Schools, housing associations and other customers are still being told they cannot have a grant for the technology of their choice. With £14 million left uncommitted in the programme and less than three months to go before it ends, this is a truly baffling decision and one that Ministers now need to get on top of very urgently.”
The current support mechanism for solar power is at risk. The Low Carbon Buildings Programme was launched in December 2006 as the Government’s main support for solar power and other renewable energy technologies. Under the 50% grant level playing field of the scheme, solar power has been the undoubted success story of the programme, accounting for 66% of committed and 70% of completed projects. The solar power industry has more than done its bit to make the Government’s scheme a success, delivering to date well over double the number of installations of all the other technologies put together.
But solar power grants ended abruptly and without any warning in early March backdated subsequently to 13th February plunging the industry into disarray. Subsequent meetings with DECC officials have confirmed that there is no prospect of the grant suspension being lifted for new applicants to the scheme, unless there is a change of policy. For existing applicants to the scheme, the immediate Phase 2 PV funding suspension is an issue that could be dealt with immediately on the basis of current funding if only there was the commitment to do so. ‘Green collar’ job creation across the construction industry can only become a reality in the UK once the Government shows a serious commitment to renewable energy such as solar power.