AN expanding renewable energy company says the Government’s decision to cut subsidies for solar power will have major repercussions and it now expects heat pumps to be the next big growth area for the green energy sector.

More than half of Revolution Power’s business now comes from air source heat pump installations and the business has recently fitted the two biggest in the UK, both in the North East.

Wayne Richardson, who founded the Newton Aycliffe-based business six years ago, said: “We have just installed the biggest air source heat pump in the country for Mitsubishi at Prudhoe Child and Mental Health Unit.

“We’ve also done the second biggest at Newbiggin Maritime Centre. We didn’t know that we had but Mitsubishi confirmed it.”

He believes interest in the technology – which works like a fridge but in reverse to create hot air – will boom after the Government radically reduced the incentives for solar-generated power.

“But I fear for the explosion [in interest] – heat pumps have to be carefully calculated and to do them properly, you need to know what you’re doing,” said Richardson.

“We’ve all heard the horror stories of the ones that don’t work. I’ve put many a heat pump right.”