Solar Feed In Tariff Website

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.

Tags: Achim Steiner, Climate change, conference, Dr. Zhengrong Shi, electricity, Energy Bill, Environment, First Solar, Greenhouse Gases, Jeremy Leggett, Kevin Langley, Mike Ahearn, Poland, Poznan, solar energy, solar industry, solar power, Solarcentury, Suntech, UK, UN, UNEP, United Nations

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.

Tags: bio-methane, carbon emissions, electricity, energy act, Energy Bill, Environment, environmental groups, feed in tariff, France, Germany, green energy, green legislation, green policy, green targets, greenhouse Gas, Kevin Langley, legislation, Philip Wolfe, rate, renewable energy, renewable energy association, Solar Feed In Tariff, solar power, Spain, UK, UK Government