On the 19th October 2011 the news the industry was waiting for has been released. The energy act has become law.

This provides our industry with positive foundations to which we can build on for Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) proposals.

The market place has been subject to trial funding schemes CESP and CERT for the past few years and all involved have learnt a lot from this. The schemes were slow to get off the ground perhaps through a poor understanding and a lack of awareness. This mistake must not be simulated. A shared opinion throughout the industry we believe as a heavy interest and input has been given in structuring both Green Deal and ECO.

Early thoughts would suggest that the market for External/Solid Wall Insulation will grow excessively. Both proposals focus and favour heavily this insulation. Both cavity and loft insulation will no longer be subsidised for “joe public” as they were under CESP. Instead a focus on the Green Deal to which properties are insulated on a loan basis to the property from energy providers. The loan then sits with the property and is repayable by the home owner. If an individual was to move that loan then remains with the property and is transferred to the new owner and beneficiary.

ECO will deliver a similar range of measures we understand but will be energy obligation funding for those most in fuel poverty and in application to the hard to treat property market.

Nevertheless the marketplace will hopefully be saturated by work, of which Lawtech among others are preparing for. One of the dangers of such exponential growth in a market place is a skills shortage. Lawtech among others must fight for the support in terms of developing a method of training and development in producing the workforce to be able to conduct the level of works aspired for by the Government Incentives.

Lawtech aim to be heavily involved in the development of these proposed schemes and hopes that the industry shares the need for planning, preparation and publicising of them to ensure a positive and prompt take up.

Lawtech is one of the largest installers of external wall insulation systems across the UK with offices in Rochester and Glasgow. Lawtech is UKAS accredited to ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 and is an active member of both the NIA & INCA.

Lawtech is able to act as a Principal Contractor on multi million pound “green” retrofit schemes installing and managing multiple energy saving measures, and in addition as a specialist façade contractor working with other contractor partners. We are able to offer advice and assistance in respect to grants and funds schemes available under CERT, CESP and from 2013 Green Deal.