Feasibility
Print this pageSeveral issues affect the feasibility of renewable or low carbon energy:
| Issue | Example |
|---|---|
| Heat and power demand | Compatibility between the profile of heat and power demands of the site and output of the technology |
| Availability of space |
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| Site and building design |
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| Resource availability |
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| Proximity of sensitive sites |
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| Other impacts |
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An assessment of feasibility may consider whether a given technology can make a sufficient contribution to energy supply and emissions reductions to justify its installation in a particular location.
The relevance of these issues to a specific site will be affected by the scale, layout, location , density and mix of uses in a development. Not all of these issues will determine whether a technology is suitable, but they may affect how it is implemented. Sensitive design and careful management can overcome some barriers to renewable and low carbon energy, and applicants could be expected to design a building or development to accommodate the technologies as far as possible. See technical guidance.
Although feasibility depends on the specific requirements and constraints for each site, some rules of thumb were developed for the London Renewable Energy Toolkit which provide an indication of the kinds of technologies typically suited to particular types of development.
The rules of thumb are summarised in a poster, available from here.
Some of the information, such as that on costs, will be out of date but it is a useful starting point.
See technical guidance.
