Solar Feed In Tariff Website

The Court of Appeal today (Wednesday 25 January 2012) unanimously rejected Government attempts to overturn last month’s High Court ruling that its plans to rush through sudden cuts to solar tariff payments are illegal.

The Government is now seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. Friends of the Earth says the move will create yet more uncertainty for solar firms and after two courts have ruled their move illegal is urging Ministers to concentrate on safeguarding the industry rather than wasting more time and money on further appeals.

The High Court ruled shortly before Christmas that Government plans to cut payments for any solar scheme completed after 12 December – 11 days before the official consultation closed – were unlawful. The judgement followed legal challenges brought by Friends of the Earth and two solar firms, Solarcentury and HomeSun, last month.

Today’s judgement will prevent Ministers rushing through cuts to feed-in tariff payments in future, restoring some confidence to the UK’s clean energy industry. But Friends of the Earth warns that unless Ministers change other parts of their solar subsidy proposals, up to 29,000 jobs could be lost.

Friends of the Earth is urging Ministers to find more money – paid for from tax payments the industry generates – to safeguard the long-term stability of the solar industry. The environmental campaigning charity is also calling for crucial amendments to proposed Government solar payment changes, including re-examining over-strict energy efficiency rules that will prevent 90 per cent of houses from claiming solar subsidies.

Today’s ruling means that, subject to any further appeal to the Supreme Court, solar tariff payments will remain at 43.3p (p/kWh) until 3 March 2012 when – following Government moves last week – they will fall to 21 pence.

Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

“This landmark judgement confirms that devastating Government plans to rush through cuts to solar payments are illegal – and will prevent Ministers from causing industry chaos with similar cuts in future.

“The Government must now take steps to safeguard the UK’s solar industry and the 29,000 jobs still facing the chop.

“Ministers must abandon plans to tighten the screw on which homes qualify for solar payments – and use the massive tax revenues generated by solar to protect the industry.

“Helping more people to plug into clean British energy will help protect cash-strapped households from soaring fuel bills.”

Tags: Clean energy cash back, Climate change, DECC, Department of Energy and Climate Change, feed in tariff, green energy, jobs, Solar Feed In Tariff, solar industry

Yesterday saw an explosion in productivity at the rumor mill regarding the solar energy Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and it’s impending review. With sources from all over the industry and high exposure media such as Financial Times jumping on board the scaremongering bandwagon, let’s take stock once again and remember the facts of where we are up to.

To read the full article, click here.

The Feed-in Tariff Review

As we understand it, the Comprehensive Spending Review championing the government’s budget overhaul into spending includes a review of the solar FiT. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is the authority on this matter, and only their official release will bring about the changes and outline to what extent cuts will be made.

One thing that figures from Ofgem are highlighting is that installation rates are much higher than what they anticipated. The current rates cannot be sustained at this exponential growth level. The boom is most certainly in full swing, and the bust now appears to be approaching in all its foreboding and unstoppable glory.

“Unless Earlier Action is Deemed Necessary”

The DECC, in speaking with industry sources has released the following statement:

“As we’ve previously said, all tariffs in the scheme are being considered in the Comprehensive Review and we will be consulting on proposals later this year. We’ve made clear that tariffs will remain unchanged until April 2012 unless the review indicates the need for greater urgency. There has been no announcement about the review so any rumors about its content are just that, rumours and speculation.” (Source)

In simple terms, nothing has changed at this point and we are no closer to understanding exactly when they will. The media storm has cracked through the sky, but the underlying realities of our situation remain. There is little doubt that the review will decrease the FiT rate by some extent, and also increasingly less doubt that the changes will be brought about before April 2012.

The only concrete truths the industry has to offer are that if you’re installed prior to the changes you will receive an enviable rate on your solar power for many, many years. If you do not, you won’t.

Written by Jarrah Harburn

jarrah@solarselections.co.uk

T: 0844 567 9835

© Solar Selections Pty Ltd 2011

Tags: DECC, Department of Energy and Climate Change, feed in tariff, FIT, green energy, PV, solar, Solar Feed In Tariff, solar power