Opinions

I was horrified by the results of a recent survey which suggests many MCS Solar PV installers may be omitting some key PV array tests.

The National Solar Centre hopes to provide an excellent opportunity for the solar PV industry to grow, mature and thrive to become up to a 22GW market by 2020. Here’s how:

The Solar PV Guide was originally written for those working in the UK solar industry in 2002, with the second Edition released in 2006. Over the last 18 months, since the UK solar market has progressed to more than 1GW of installed capacity, the MCS PV working group has been working on a new version which will be released over the next few weeks. The following article summarises the main changes occurring.

Industry is seeing the first of the capacity triggered reductions in tariffs – the longer term, more regular, smaller cuts that are designed by Government to provide ‘stability and long-term security’ to the PV market. So now looks like a good time to assess the scheme and see whether it really can deliver.

When Greg Barker introduced the new tri-monthly degression model for the solar industry he promised us that it would prevent industry from “falling victim to boom and bust”. However, the latest installation figures show yet another boom and bust cycle in the aftermath of the August 1 cuts to the feed-in tariff.

Humans have always made use of solar energy. When man’s earliest ancestor realised that a patch of sunlight was warmer than the shade, or that rocks heated all day by the sun remained warm long into the night, solar energy was being used.

So here we go again. Government has announced that feed-in tariff levels for solar PV installations are to be reduced again effective from the August 1. At first sight, this would appear to make installation of a solar roof unviable. But that isn’t the case, for two key reasons.

The first of the tri-monthly degression cuts to the feed-in tariff (FiT) is almost upon us. From Wednesday, all <4kW systems installed will receive 16p/kWh – a 63 percent drop in subsidy level since December 2011. Under the new framework, FiT rates will continue to tumble at regular intervals. To the casual observer, solar is getting less and less attractive.

The fallout from the FiT fiasco last year saw many solar PV projects cancelled. However, after PV costs reduced by 50 percent last year and a further 30 percent this year, have you been too quick to cancel the project?

Ever since the feed-in tariff rate was axed in half from 43p to 21p the industry has been plagued by chronic confusion in the marketplace. Legal wranglings, deadlines, extensions; it was hard enough to keep on top of market developments for solar companies, let alone customers.