GGF on Green Deal

The Glass and Glazing Federation has been at the forefront of all things Green Deal for the last 18 months with on going meetings with; several Government Ministers and their Departments, numerous Green Deal Providers and many related trade organisations in the construction and energy sectors. Among other activity, the Federation has held intensive Members Debates, issued formal responses to Government on behalf of Members and the overall industry. Their work seems never ending but leading the way is Nigel Rees, GGF Chief Executive. In part one of Glazine’s Green Deal Special, Nigel offers his well informed opinion on Green Deal.

Good news? Or oh hell! These two expressions seem to sum up the range of opinions on Green Deal in the glass and window industry at the moment. There is no doubt the government proposed scheme has become one of the most emotive subjects I have ever experienced in my 17 years in the industry.

Being right at the heart of the matter as our Members expect, the Glass and Glazing Federation has continued to hold the opinion that Green Deal once introduced will be good for the industry. However, there are still so many unanswered questions that it is impossible at this juncture to be certain whether it will be positive or negative for the Glass and Glazing sector. One thing that is certain is that the GGF will continue to push the Government for the answers at every opportunity and at all levels, to make sure Green Deal works for our Members and the industry in general.

Currently, Green Deal is shrouded in ambiguity and appears to have ever increasing complexity. Given its complications, the GGF considers it a duty to its Members to break it down and dissect every positive and negative in the scheme. The Federation’s work on Green Deal so far is primarily down to the help from Members. They have given their time and shared their knowledge at three Green Deal Members debates and the GGF Forum. They have also helped the Federation complete its 33 page formal response to the Green Deal/ECO Consultation. The GGF will continue to collect Member’s thoughts, sympathise with their concerns and frustrations and most importantly listen to their ideas and suggestions to ensure Green Deal is advantageous for all our Members.

Since the outset of Green Deal, our work has been like a rollercoaster. At first, the concept of Green Deal seemed very agreeable. The UK’s current building stock (domestic and non-domestic) is of a poor level of energy efficiency and to increase the energy efficiency takes money and for many property owners that is often not easily accessible in the current economic climate. It therefore seems an ideal solution to improve the energy efficiency in buildings without asking for money up front and instead re-pay the cost via one’s fuel bills. When the Government put forward this proposal in 2010, most in the construction trade supported the scheme. Unfortunately though the devil is in the detail and as the planning of Green Deal progressed so too did the complexity and bureaucracy.

As the plans developed at the early stage, the Government emphasis was on insulation and there was a need to educate officials of the huge role windows play in improving energy efficiency in buildings. The GGF’s technical team produced evidence showing how much energy can be saved by fitting energy efficient glazing. Within six months of meetings and lobbying Ministers, windows were very much on the Green Deal radar and the industry is now getting the recognition it deserves after years of investment in the innovation and technology of glass and glazing.

Government recognition was a big win for the Federation but more recently there have been other significant changes to Green Deal that can only be advantageous to our industry. The change in the length of Green Deal warranties from the length of the plan to the industry norm was another key gain - given that the standard warranty on a window is 10 years and the length of the Green Deal plan could be over 20 years.

Green Deal Certification is another major area the GGF has been working on as all Installers carrying out Green Deal work will need to be Green Deal Certified. The GGF through its competent person scheme company FENSA is working hard to become a Green Deal Certification Body for window and door installers.

Whether you like or loathe the idea of Green Deal, the government’s flagship energy efficiency project is going to happen with the launch scheduled in October 2012. It may seem a long way off but regardless of a company’s size, status or profile they should try and gain as much information as possible, consider the implications and be prepared one way or the other. Meantime, the GGF will continue to work hard on all aspects of Green Deal to ensure it benefits our Members.

Next week – Green Deal Providers – The GGF lays out the options for Window Installation Companies

Please send all your news stories to news@the-glazine.com or should you wish to contact me directly tony@the-glazine.com

Tony Higgin
Publisher