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.

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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

Commenting on publication today of a safety review of the UK nuclear industry following the Fukushima crisis in Japan earlier this year, Friends of the Earth’s energy campaigner Tony Bosworth said:

“This report does nothing to alter the Alice-in-Wonderland economics of nuclear power – it’s a gamble we don’t need to take.

“After more than five decades of nuclear generation the industry still relies on huge public subsidy, while solar is set to operate without taxpayer support within a decade.

“Getting tough on energy waste and plugging in to the UK’s vast green power potential will meet our energy needs and build the new job and business opportunities our economy is crying out for.”

The UK is in the midst of a race to install solar PV on its roof-tops from domestic dwellings to schools, hospitals, council buildings and agricultural sheds.  All this is being driven by the Feed- In-Tariff (“FIT”) that has been put in place since April 2010 by the UK Government, to support renewable energy generators to invest in technology such as solar PV.  The FIT provides an index-linked subsidy for power generated for 25 years, providing an ideal investment asset for pension funds and long-term investors.

Whilst roof-top solar no doubt has its place, an innovative company based in Scotland and Somerset, SolParks, has looked further afield and brought another variant of solar PV to the UK market – the solar car canopy.

The solar canopy is a structure built over a car parking space with solar PV panels mounted on its top. The canopies bring a number of direct user benefits such as shelter in poor weather, keeps cars shaded from the heat of the sun and can add further to user amenity, by adding in electric vehicle charging points (powered by renewable power, rather than mains) and using LED lighting under the canopies, which can be sensor operated, rather than large street lighting, to provide bright, safe car parking.

The power generated by the solar PV can be supplied direct to the car park owner, or can be supplied to the national grid.

The environmental and user benefits are obvious but also extend to easing legal issues between landlord and solar PV operator.

Elliot Roe of Solparks says “we researched the market for more innovative solutions for solar PV and found car park canopies in both France and USA, where the markets are far larger.   The benefits in the UK are obvious as well and we are innovating even further by using the FITs to enhance the financial benefits for users.”

Solparks is looking for installations of 12 car parking spaces up to 100.   Roe goes on to say “we can provide the installation to a site owner without any cost to them.  We undertake the planning consent, construction works, grid connection and pay for the canopies and solar PV.  The user in return receives discounted power and gains the benefits for their car park users.   The power they can’t use on site is exported to the grid.”

Using the power generated from solar PV on site can save the landowner power costs and can provide a valuable hedge against the threat of rising electricity prices. It also sends a strong, visible, message to customers about green credentials.

Roe says “ we are happy to work with any size of car park owner; however, an ideal customer would be one with multiple car parks. That way the customer achieves wide spread benefit, and the amount of power generated becomes a meaningful contribution to reducing their power bills.”

Solparks feels its solution offers much more simplicity for building owners.  The solar PV doesn’t compromise the core building, no structural surveys or reinforcements are needed and we can also accommodate re-development much more readily.

So why, given all these advantages, is the product limited to 100 spaces in any one location ?  Roe comments that “the changes in the FIT from 1 August make it very difficult, with the FIT alone, to achieve the sorts of levels of returns that are needed to fund a roll-out on a larger scale.  There are other commercial solutions that could be looked at to achieve much larger deployments however and we would be delighted to hear from any potential Solparks customer”

Solparks provides a fully turn-key service to those wanting to purchase rather than lease.  The service includes planning, grid connection, Ofgem accreditation, procurement of all materials and onsite installation. Solparks can also provide an ongoing operation, maintenance, monitoring and reporting service.

The Solparks product comes with a full 25 year warranty over the steel and PV installations plus a 2 year workmanship warranty.

And what of electric vehicle transportation ?    Solparks believes solar car parking can play a large role in the infrastructure needed for electric vehicles – both cars and scooters.    Roe says “adding charging points below the canopies, powered by the sun, is an easy next step and can provide further amenity to customers”.

Given the benefits, we expect to see many Solparks installations starting to appear, and provides large car park owners with another potential revenue stream from an asset that they already own.

For more information email elliot@solarfeedintariff.co.uk

Barnsley Football Club is to become the first in the country to be powered by solar energy.

Work will start next month installing photovoltaic panels on the roofs of two stands and the external wall of the south stand at Oakwell – enough to provide energy to for about 140 homes.

Electricity generated will be used within the ground, with any excess being fed back into the National Grid. It’s estimated it will save the club about half its electricity bills a year – equivalent to tens of thousands of pounds.

General manager Don Rowing said: “With energy costs spiraling and likely to continue that way it makes business sense to use the large amount of roof surface available to us to save the club money and also to reduce our carbon footprint.

“The icing on the cake is that the work is being done by a Barnsley company and that will help the local economy. This just shows what a green place Barnsley is and even though we are the Reds we can go green.”

Dodworth-based Solar Europa Limited is due to start work on the project, which is costing more than £1m, on May 9, with completion due in June. The panels on the south and east stands will generate about 0.5 megawatt of electricity.

The cost of the installation will be met by the company, which will recoup any money made selling electricity back to the National Grid via the Feed In Tariff.

David Hawkins, of Solar Europa, said: “I just hope that by doing this we can inspire other football clubs and other businesses to take advantage of the roofs they have. It could be a warehouse or office block roof – it doesn’t matter – it all helps cut bills and cut carbon dioxide emissions.”

Solar Europa, which manufactures its own solar panels, as well as installing them, receives business support from the Enterprising Barnsley programme.

Adrian Waite, who works for Barnsley Development Agency and Enterprising Barnsley, said: “Barnsley Development Agency provide business support to the football club and we introduced the benefits of solar power to the management team at Oakwell earlier this year.

“To their credit, Don and his staff realised the need to move fast on this opportunity, and a number of Barnsley based companies were invited to complete surveys.  We are delighted that Solar Europa has been selected for this high profile project.”

The Enterprising Barnsley programme offers business support to Barnsley businesses with growth potential. Enterprising Barnsley has attracted £2.89m investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe’s support for the region’s economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme. Enterprising Barnsley also runs networking events and provides office space throughout the borough.

For more information on Solar Europa go to www.solareuropa.co.uk

NOTE TO EDITORS

Don Rowing can be contacted on 01226 211300 or donrowing@barnsleyfc.co.uk or 07984 572739.

David Hawkins or his colleague Glyn Cooper can be contacted at Solar Europa on 01226 249852. David can also be contacted on david@solareuropa.co.uk

Adrian Waite can be contacted on 01226 787531 or adrianwaite@barnsley.gov.uk

Additional media contact: Kate Betts on 01226 766900 or 07910 165 444 or at kate@katebettsmedia.co.uk

Enterprising Barnsley is a partnership between Barnsley Development Agency, Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre and the University of Huddersfield ’s Barnsley Campus. It is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to provide an integrated programme of business support. For more information on Enterprising Barnsley go to www.enterprisingbarnsley.co.uk