East Kilbride based wind turbine manufacturer Proven Energy has said it wants the government to set a 20p per unit feed-in tariff rate for wind when they are introduced in the UK. Jamie Glover, UK channel manager for Proven, said: “Savings are entirely wind dependent but if they are on a good site, wind turbines pay themselves off in about five years on average, and will continue to make money after that. But feed-in tariffs will decrease the payback time proportionally, and will certainly drive demand.”

“Payback time will depend on what rate is decided when feed-in tariffs are introduced. In Europe there are many different rates but I would hope for a 20p rate for the UK – the payback time for people with small-wind turbines would be greatly reduced” added Glover.

The Energy Act legislation passed in November will see the full introduction of feed-in tariffs by early 2010 and allow small energy producers such as Proven to sell surplus back into the national grid at a fixed rate. Some in the energy industry have reservations about the public awareness of the feed-in tariffs at this point in time, however at is hoped that come the roll out, knowledge of the tariffs will have filtered through the media. Jamie Glover expressed this concern, “Widespread knowledge of the new feed-in tariffs is not available at the moment so we have not experienced a greater interest because of it. But I am sure that clarification of what the tariffs will be, as well as time, will ensure that the public are more aware of the savings and benefits of generating your own electricity.”

However, despite these concerns during the last year there was a 50% increase in public awareness of the new feed-in tariffs attributed to soaring household electricity bills and a general increase in technological knowledge. Proven, which has recently installed a turbine at a school in Leeds certainly believes that by 2010 a 20p tariff rate will make their business viable in the long term.

Lord Hunt has announced that the government will roll out smart meters over the next 10 years in order to help the UK meet targets set out in the Energy Bill. Smart meters are considered to be fundamental to the introduction of feed-in tariffs whereby the small renewable energy producers will be paid a premium rate for energy they feed back into the national grid.

Lord Hunt, announcing the roll out said, “This is a major step forward; no other country in the world has moved to an electricity and gas smart meter roll-out on this scale.

“We anticipate a period of around two years to resolve the issues and to design the full detail of a domestic roll-out. Our aim is then to ensure that the subsequent roll-out happens over a period of 10 years. This would see delivery of smart meters by the end of 2020 to align with our renewables targets,” added Hunt.

Conservative peer Baroness Wilcox, who prompted the government announcement on smart meters, welcomed the decision to introduce smart meters across the country, commenting,

“Smart meters are not only critical for energy savings at home but will soon be inextricably linked with the feed-in tariff. The government are as alert as we are to the fact that we in this country are very late in protecting our energy supply and energy usage, but this concession by them is a great step forward.”

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the heads of the worlds leading solar companies have met in Poznan, Poland to discuss the development and implementation of global policies designed to help the growth of the solar industry internationally and to lead the way in the reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHC) in order to meet climate goals.

Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s Chairman and CEO, Jeremy Leggett, Executive Chairman of Solarcentury, Mike Ahearn, Chairman and CEO of First Solar, and Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director strongly advocated solar energy as a viable energy production solution which should be taken up by governments around the globe:

“Solar technology is no longer a niche energy solution, but is already reaching the scale and cost points to fundamentally change the way we generate electricity. As a result of substantial investments over the past 5 years, the solar industry has dramatically improved solar technologies and established roadmaps for further cost reductions. In fact, electricity generated from solar installations is already reaching parity with peak energy and retail energy prices in many regions.”

The conference concluded that the following objectives are the key to meeting GHG- reduction and economic-development goals:

·          Stringent, ambitious, international and national carbon regulation policies

·          Enforceable renewables mandates with a solar carve out or credit multiplier for solar energy

·          Near-term incentives that could include feed-in tariffs, partial rebates, tax credits and/or property-based loans

·          Favourable net metering, interconnection, permitting and land-use policies.

The recent UK Energy Bill will certainly have pleased the consortium as it gives provisions for the implementation of feed-in tariffs by 2010 which are seen as being fundamental to the setting up of a coherent renewable energy solution. The plans are for the government to guarantee a fixed, premium rate for energy fed back into the national grid by small, renewable energy producers and will be essential to the UK meeting its climate change goals.

Britain‘s controversial Energy Bill was passed yesterday, signalling a significant move towards the use grid connected, renewable energy sources across the UK.

The new laws will see the UK cut gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 and open the door for feed in tariffs, with the Government paying owners of grid connected solar and wind systems a premium rate for the energy they produce.

Environmental groups and members of the renewable energy industry have warmly welcomed this new legislation. The Renewable Energy Association released the statement,

“The Renewable Energy Association is delighted that that government has recognised the advantages of a tariff-style incentive scheme which will open doors for small-scale producers of renewable heat, electricity and bio-methane,” Philip Wolfe, Director

It is generally accepted that the progressive feed-in tariff policies of European countries such as Germany, France and Spain have stimulated and accelerated the growth of renewable energies there.