Onsite renewables 'not best route to energy efficiency'

Rumours that the government is planning to alter the Merton Rule because of the way it affects the house-building industry have been backed by the British Property Foundation (BPF).

The Merton Rule, named after the London borough which originally designed the scheme, currently requires a building to generate at least ten per cent of its electricity via onsite renewable energy sources.

However, the BPF has said that this demand is not as practical or efficient as separate investment in energy efficiency techniques.

"The Merton Rule has been a failure because, at present, solar panels and wind turbines attached to building cannot provide the energy required to meet ten per cent of a buildings energy needs in urban and many sub-urban locations," the BPF added.

But the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has said that the rule should remain in place, saying that such pioneering schemes are necessary if real energy efficiency gains are to be achieved.


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