Proposed changes to the feed-in-tariff to come into effect on the 12th of December have been questioned by the local MP, Norman Baker, who is calling for more flexibility to minimise the impact of the changes on community solar projects.
The FIT allows domestic and community solar projects to use the energy created to feed back into the grid, allowing community organisations and individuals to get a financial return on installing solar PV. However, uptake has been much greater than expected, not least because of the sharp decrease in the cost of solar panels, and, as such, it has become unaffordable.
However, while a reduction to the present tariff of 32.9p per kilowatt for 10-50kw community scale projects has been accepted, and indeed expected, concerns have been raised, which the local MP is sympathetic to, about the proposed tariff reduction for community scale projects to 15.2pence. The MP also has reservations about the new deadline for the reduced rate, although all existing projects will continue to receive the current rate. In particular, there have been some local projects that may not be able to go ahead as they will not be able to be completed before the 12th of December, resulting in the loss of time and money.
The local MP has written to the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne MP, to voice his concerns and has called for a little more flexibility in the proposed reductions, particularly to ease the burden on community projects and small businesses that are reliant on the tariff.
Norman says: "It is widely accepted by those in the industry that the current rate of the tariff may have to come down. It is quite right, therefore, that the government reassess the subsidies to make the scheme robust in the long term. However, I do have reservations about the speed and level of the proposed changes for community size projects and I am therefore asking the Secretary of State to examine urgently the case for some flexibility to mitigate any adverse effects of the changes."
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
