UK: Peter Verkempynck, md of Daikin UK has added his suport to the news that Greg Barker, minister of state for energy and climate change, plans to include commercial scale air-to-water heat pumps in the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive.
Daikin UK and other industry bodies has repeatedly argued that, by leaving air-to-water heat pumps out of the current non-domestic incentive programme, the Government was guilty of falsely distorting the renewable heating market and creating an unfair playing field for air-to-water heat pump manufacturers and installers.

At a meeting last week in the House of Commons with representatives from the Heat Pump Association, Micropower Council, BEAMA and the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council, Greg Barker indicated that he plans to 'find a way to fast-track the inclusion of air-to-water commercial heat pumps ahead of other changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive planned for next summer.'

Peter Verkempynck said: 'We are delighted that the minister has listened to the industry and has committed to include air-to-water heat pumps in the Commercial RHI as soon as possible. The inclusion of air-to-water heat pumps in this incentive programme will encourage the take-up of the technology in non-domestic applications and ensure that many more projects can consider air-to-water heat pumps as well as other already supported technologies. This will encourage the market to grow in line with other renewable technologies that are already included in the scheme.

'The move to include air-to-water heat pumps in the policy framework will do a great deal to rectify an unfair situation and we welcome this news wholeheartedly. We now eagerly await the details of how the Minister intends to incorporate air-to-water heat pumps into this framework without delay.'

Following the meeting, Tony Bowen, president of the Heat Pumps Association, said:
'We are delighted that the minister has made a firm commitment to the inclusion of air to water heat pumps which will now be able to take their rightful place alongside ground to water heat pumps in the RHI to provide a further important and robust strand to the renewable agenda. Timing is, of course, imperative and we trust that we will see this happen for the beginning of 2013'

When the non-domestic RHI was introduced in November 2011 it supported biomass boilers, bio gas and solar thermal technologies as well as ground source heat pumps, but excluded air-to-water heat pumps 'due to a lack of cost data'.