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Latest news on PV Feed in Tariff change
The Government has announced a review of the Feed in Tariff rates to start on the 12th December 2011. For the full Press Release see www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn11_091/pn11_091.aspx 
 
To be eligible for the 43.3p/kwhr the system must be installed, commissioned, all the paperwork completed and in the hands of your energy supplier before the 12th December 2011.
 

    The Rates                                                  Up to end Nov         Dec onwards
≤4kW (new build) 37.8 21.0
≤4kW (retrofit) 43.3 21.0
>4-10kW 37.8 16.8
>10-50kW 32.9 15.2
 
Government Press release about the Feed in Tariff - 7th February 2011
Chris Huhne said:
 

“The renewables industry is a vital piece in the green growth jigsaw and this review will provide long term certainty while making sure homes, communities and small firms are encouraged to produce their own green electricity.

“Large scale solar installations weren’t anticipated under the FITs scheme we inherited and I’m concerned this could mean that money meant for people who want to produce their own green electricity has the potential to be directed towards large scale commercial solar projects.”

The comprehensive FITs review will:

  • Assess all aspects of the scheme including tariff levels, administration and eligibility of technologie

  • Be completed by the end of the year, with tariffs remaining unchanged until April 2012 (unless the review reveals a need for greater urgency)

  • Fast track consideration of large scale solar projects (over 50kW) with a view to making any resulting changes to tariffs as soon as practical, subject to consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny as required by the Energy Act 2008.

Alongside the fast track review of large scale solar PV, a short study in to the uptake of FITs for farm based Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants will also take place. Only two such projects have been accredited so far and by this point at least six were expected. The tariff rates will be examined to see if they are enough to make farm based AD worthwhile.

The Government will not act retrospectively and any changes to generation tariffs implemented as a result of the review will only affect new entrants into the FITs scheme. Installations which are already accredited for FITs at the time will not be affected.

 
Download the latest ESTIF Publication “Solar Thermal Markets in Europe – Trends & Market Statistics

Following an outstanding growth in 2008, the European solar thermal market decreased by 10% in 2009. For the second year in a row, over 4 million square metres of solarpanels were sold in Europe. However, the outlook for 2010 remains uncertain as the financial and economic crisis continues to have a negative impact on public support and incentive policies for renewable heating and cooling.

You can download the latest ESTIF publication from http://www.estif.org/.

 
All you need to know about the Renewable Heat Incentive
The Renewable Heat Incentive has sparked much interest from both consumers and the microgeneration sector. However, there is still yet to be a formal announcement from the Department of Energy & Climate Change regarding both from “when” and precisely “how” the proposed tariff mechanism will work. For the latest information on the proposed RHI, please go to the Renewable Heat Incentive website.
 
July 2010 - Government Consultation on New Microgeneration Strategy

On 12th July 2010, the Government announced a consultation on a new Microgeneration Strategy. This Strategy will look forward to 2020 and cover England only, and seeks viewson four key policy areas that can help decarbonise the way we heat our homes and businesses, reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions and contributing to our target of sourcing 20% of all EU energy from renewables by 2020.

For more information please click here.