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Policy and market signals could pave way for clean energy purchase boom led by solar PV but getting smaller corporates on board will be challenging, London event hears.

The solar industry has hit back at official government deployment statistics, arguing that without an improved collation system they have become “meaningless”.

Solar’s role in delivering net zero is being vastly underestimated as new research reveals it could provide 20% of UK electricity by 2030.

Details of the government’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) emerged earlier this week, eliciting responses that range from calling it “better than nothing” to welcoming an end to the “ongoing tragedy” of the policy gap between the feed-in tariff (FiT) and the SEG.

The policy gap between the feed-in tariff (FiT) and the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is set to close by the end of 2019, guaranteeing payment for excess domestic solar generation.

Residential solar installations slide to just 3.6MW in April 2019, the first month following the closure of the feed-in tariff.

Energy minister Claire Perry is to take a leave of absence, with universities minister Chris Skidmore fulfilling her duties in the interim.

The government is seeking to remove a significant hurdle for utility-scale co-located storage sites, enabling projects with combined capacities in excess of 50MW to proceed without requiring government consent.

Today the government confirmed that it will press ahead with proposals to cut the export tariff to new applicants from 31 March 2019. The industry has responded strongly.

The business, energy and industrial strategy select committee has ratcheted up the pressure on the government to “urgently” clarify its position on rooftop solar.