The renamed association will better reflect the interests of the group’s members, he said, which span decentralised technology options including combined heat and power (CHP), district heating and cooling and demand side energy services.
The relaunch of the association was unanimously agreed by members in the first week of this year, and will take place 20 January in line with the group’s latest report on ‘invisible energy’.
Decentralised energy, which is produced at or near the point of final use, is emerging as an increasingly important means of securing low carbon energy supply which is tailored to the needs of the end-user.
“This change of name reflects our long-term vision to create a less costly, more secure and lower carbon energy system, dictated by users’ needs, not energy producers,” Rotheray said in a statement.
“The way we generate and use our energy is in the midst of a significant transition, away from a centralised system and towards a decentralised one that puts control in the hands of users,” he said.
Association chairman Ian Calvert added that the new name “will reflect the significant role which the association and members have in the growth in decentralised energy sector”.