The Department for Energy and Climate Change announced details of its second round of cuts to solar PV tariffs this week.
The proposals would reduce the government "generation tariff" for projects between 10 and 50 kilowatts from 32.9p per kilowatt-hour to 15.2p. Those between 4kW and 10kW would fall from 37.8p per kilowatt-hour to 16.8p, while arrays of up to 4kW would see support slashed from 43.3p to 21p. The timescale is very tight, with a deadline barely six weeks away. The lower tariffs would apply to all new solar PV installations with ‘an eligibility date on or after 12 December 2011’.
The NFU has already received a large number of calls from members, requesting guidance and asking how we are lobbying on this issue.
Please find a copy of our briefing here.
- See also: Plans could threaten on-farm solar 01 Nov 2011
DDECC minister Greg Barker has unveiled a consultation process on plans to halve the feed-in tariffs available for smaller solar installations.
- Mike Porter - 23/11/2011
The reductions to the PV tarriffs are far too great and far too quick. We knew that they would charge in April and many people had budgeted on the tariff changing then but did not expect it to change before April. They could have changed the tarrif for May or June but I assume that would allow to may systems to be installed. Thuis will put the brakes on and put it back for 6 to 12 months.
- David Ursell - 10/11/2011
UK has made an undertaking to reduce CO2 emmisions, yet now they have severly reduced their chances of meeting those targets. By reducing the FITs many firms will go out of business, yet again adding to our economic downfall. How stupid can you get, by making this decision?
- Mike Hillard - 10/11/2011
I think it would be wise for those interested in installing a PV array to consider it carefully, as I am strongly of the opinion there will be a perfectly legal way to effectively remove the 'grandfather rights' so the huge FiT may well not be paid for long. It is clearly a really bad decision to load 43p/kw.hr electricity onto the grid where everybody else has to pay for it.