Solar Feed in Tariff rate confirmed into the Summer

This weeks OFGEM update of Feed in Tariff rates seems to be splitting the two basic industry PV installer disciplines wider apart.

While on one hand Domestic, Industrial and Agricultural aspect have remained unchanged and look like we will have a Summer ofcontinued fixed rate of FiT which allows us to talk to the customer with some confidence of rates they will be paid while they organise planning or finance. Huge stand alone field systems that have been proliferating across the country however will be hit.

At the end of March 2013, any system being installed under the ROC's scheme will see the rate cut from 2 ROC's per 1MW of generation to 1.5 ROC's.. To keep this trend going, dissuading investment companies making too much money from these large scale PV programs, after May 2013 any stand alone system under FiT over 100kWp will drop from 7.1p a unit to 6.85p.

The industry see this as a clear indication by the Government to put off investment in large scale stand alone PV systems, as in many quarters they are simply seen as being installed for cash generation rather than any thought of power offsetting, which will be the case on most building mounted systems. Also as many large scale stand alone systems are funded by offshore companies, the continued flow of UK funded cash out the country, there is probably a stand against this continuing.

Large schemes either building mounted or free standing that will connect into either a large domestic or commercial supply and will assist with lowering their carbon footprint are still being encouraged, as the Governments stance is still to keep PV to assist with exisitng supplies.