Japan may announce preferential price rates this month for electricity generated from renewable energy in a program that will start in July to encourage investment in non-fossil fuel power plants.

A five-person panel have been discussing the preferential rates, known as feed-in tariffs, since March 6 and will hold their sixth meeting on April 25.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry hopes to receive the recommended rates by April 27, which will then need government approval, Keisuke Murakami, who heads clean energy programs at the ministry, said today.

The feed-in tariff guarantees above-market rates for solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric power. The Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association proposed 42 yen (52 cents) a kilowatt-hour for 20 years for solar power. For wind, the Japan Wind Power Association suggested as much as 25 yen a kilowatt- hour for the same period.

Murakami said no decision had been made about rates for solar power in response to a Nikkei newspaper report today that said the rate will be 42 yen a kilowatt-hour for about 20 years. The newspaper didn’t state the source of its information.

By : Bloomberg

When connecting a solar power system to the grid, the application process involves submission of a form to the relevant Distribution Network Operator (DNO). Which form and when are two important matters covered in this article.

Read the full article here

Registering Solar Generators with the DNO

Depending on who you ask these days, different sized systems require different application forms be sent to the DNO. The general expectation is that the larger a system, the more preemptive information is required to be transferred. Let’s look at the two main forms that will affect systems of 4kWp and smaller.

Small Scale Generator and the G83

Systems deemed to be under 16 amps per phase are considered ‘small scale’. They can be installed straight away and registered by submitting a G83 form to the DNO following the installation. EON has a copy of their G83 form here for download.

In order to establish if your generator is under 16 amps per phase, it is best to consult with your solar installer. The correctly trained electrical staff they have on hand will be able to assist. As a rule of thumb, systems under 3.6kWp will be under the 16 amps limit the vast majority of the time. However, seeing as the feed-in tariff changes after 4kWp this presents a grey area for installations between 3.6kWp and 4kWp.

Large Generation and the G59

For generators over 16 amps per phase it is a legal requirement for the DNO to be consulted prior to an installation taking place. In addition, a G59 form (download here) is required to be submitted. The process of a DNO reviewing and returning a successful G59 can take up to 8 weeks.

Obviously the important aspect of this process is establishing the amp levels of the proposed solar power installation with the installer’s electrician. The tilt, orientation and location of a solar generator can affect the amps, so it is vital that anyone installing systems from 3.6kWp upwards establishes the correct process for registering their system. This is especially the case with the deadlines of April 1st and July 1st 2012.

Written by Jarrah Harburn

The government has lost its high court appeal over its plan to cut subsidies for solar panels on homes.

The appeal was against a High Court ruling blocking government plans to make large reductions to payments made to households with solar panels.

It would have hit customers who installed panels after 12 December.

Under the feed-in tariffs programme, people in Britain with solar panels are paid for the electricity they generate. The government tried to reduce them prior to the results of the consultation being released. The High Court agreed with opponents that this was legally flawed.

The new tariff of 21p per kilowatt-hour, down from the current 43p, had been expected to come into effect from 1 April, but in October the government said it would be paid to anyone who installed their solar panels after 12 December.

Upholding that ruling, the Supreme Court said the government’s appeal “does not raise an arguable point of law of general public importance which ought to be considered by the Supreme Court at this time”.

The government said the court’s decision drew a line under the case.

“We will now focus all our efforts on ensuring the future stability and cost effectiveness of solar and other microgeneration technologies for the many, not the few,” said Energy and Climate Change Secretary.

Here at solarfeedintariff.co.uk we applaud the High Courts judgment and hope it encourages fairer and better planned legislation from the government In the future when amending renewable energy policy.

Next week’s Budget is likely to deal a further blow to Government promises to create jobs and tackle soaring fuel bills by building a clean economy and safeguarding our environment, Friends of the Earth warned today (Friday 16 March 2012).

The environment charity is urging the Prime Minister, who promised to lead the “greenest Government ever”, to ensure George Osborne keeps his pre-election pledge for “the Conservative Treasury to be in the lead of developing the low carbon economy and financing a green recovery”.

There are growing concerns that next week’s Budget will lead to:

• Little action on developing a clean, low-carbon economy
o The UK’s dependency on expensive fossil fuel imports has led to rocketing fuel bills. Developing the UK’s vast wind, wave and solar potential would create thousands of jobs and boost our energy security. But George Osborne has shown little enthusiasm for getting the UK off the fossil fuel hook – and recently inaccurately claimed that moves to boost a clean economy are responsible for driving up energy bills.

• A reduction in safeguards for wildlife and the countryside
o The results of Government reviews of planning and environmental regulations are expected to be announced alongside the Budget. This could pave the way for more building in the countryside and less protection for our wildlife. George Osborne recently told MPs he wanted to make sure that “gold plating of EU rules on things like habitats” were not putting “ridiculous costs” on firms – despite little, if any, evidence to back up this claim.

Friends of the Earth’s Policy and Campaigns Director Craig Bennett said:

“In opposition the Chancellor pledged to lead the fight to create new jobs and tackle soaring fuel bills – and keeping his promise to develop a clean future is the best way to fix our broken economy.

“We must free ourselves from the shackles of our reliance on costly fossil fuels by switching to clean British energy, which is the only way to give us affordable power in the long term.

“David Cameron’s silence on this issue is deafening – he must remind his Chancellor that the best way to build a strong economy is to build a clean economy.”

Responding to George Osborne’s stated intention to “make sure that gold plating of EU rules on things like Habitats aren’t placing ridiculous costs on British businesses”, Craig Bennett added:

“There are many reasons why the economy is struggling, but measures to protect our precious wildlife sites are not one of them.”