FITs going down?

[skier-hughes]

According to the BBC there's been too much take up
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15507750

Wonder if I can get mine fitted in time or not.........

 

[skier-hughes]

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Financial-incentives/UK-Government-proposed-changes-to-solar-PV-Feed-in-Tariffs

 

[fluffytail10]

Well I'm pleased we got ours fitted last week then. They are huge though and we have had to half the size of the chicken run. I think it will take ages to get used to them so here's hoping they are going to be a good investment.

 

[Baron de Gynes]

We were thinking quite seriously about this, but clearly didn't jump on the bandwagon in time. Had the CO out here last week who proposed that planning permission and LBC would be required because we would be fitting to a curtilage building of indeterminate age. We'll certainly never get the plans drawn up and passed in time for the system to be fitted before the 12th December cutoff.

Now that the ConDems have decided on this slap-in-the-face review, I think we alll know where their green credentials lie. Still, at least it will free up pots of money for them to spend on the two new power stations. At least one of them is 'sustainable' although I don't really see the point of building another gas-fired station...

And then there's the suggestion that there will be a requirement to prove the energy efficiency of one's house; a requirement which could be set as high as Band C. The majority of houses are, aparrently, in Band D so would require some expenditure to bring them up to scratch. I think we are in Band F and, due to listing constraints, can't do any more than we already have to become more 'environmentally friendly'.

Halving the FiT has reduced the viability (or increased the overall cost, depending on your viewpoint) of our proposed 2-3KW scheme to the point that it isn't worth bothering. Should the price of the panel kits come down by a similar amount (i.e. lets have all the panels on a 'better than half price sale' - I doubt the fitters will think their business model is sustainable) then we might reconsider, but for now, I'm fairly certain that well have to say "I'm Out" to this one.

 

[Flyfisher]

Now that the ConDems have decided on this slap-in-the-face review, I think we alll know where their green credentials lie. Still, at least it will free up pots of money for them to spend on the two new power stations. At least one of them is 'sustainable' although I don't really see the point of building another gas-fired station...

It's an interesting issue, but I'm not sure about the change freeing up 'pots of money' as my understanding is that FIT payments are funded by the power companies themselves, or rather, their customer's energy bills. After all, the money has to come from somewhere.

Individually, the FIT scheme looks attractive (or used to) but I can't understand how it could be scaled up to include all energy consumers as everyone would then be paying for their own FIT payments! So I rather suspect that some sort of limitation on such a scheme was inevitable, making it another one of those headline-grabbing but ultimately unsustainable 'green' initiatives. A sort of clearance-sale-while-stocks-last type of thing.

A possible benefit would be if the increased uptake of solar PV has reduced the costs of such installations, but I've not read any figures about that.

 

[Baron de Gynes]

I rather suspect that some sort of limitation on such a scheme was inevitable, making it another one of those headline-grabbing but ultimately unsustainable 'green' initiatives.

Absolutely; it's just pure sour grapes on my part at being too late to jump on the bandwagon, as usual... :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

Yes, wrong timing for us as well.

 

[Lime]

Just wait until they all start going wrong.

 

[biffvernon]

On the same day the government announces cuts to the solar FIT scheme it announces millions of £ in grants from the 'growth fund' to luxury gas guzzling car makers Bentley and Lotus, both of whom are doing very nicely thank you on the banker's bonus trade, anyway.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/b...nment-grant-to-develop-new-engines-39972.html

Energy crisis? What energy crisis?

 

[Schoolmarm]

Biff, what was the company who installed yours?

 

[biffvernon]

http://www.ethicalsolar.org/

The boss is John Whiten - good bloke.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Thankyou

 

[tobydog]

Unfortunately this scuppered a great initiative for our village. We had set up the Stutton Green Energy Alliance. The intention was for villages to invest £30,000 plus a contingency fund to put panels on the village hall roof. This would provide free electricity for the hall and also the local community store. The intention was for the FIT to be split between the investors and new community projects. We were modelling it on an exisiting scheme in Stoke by Nayland although they give all the FIT back to the investors. In reality that may well have been what we would have ended up doing. Now that the government has brought in the deadline of December 12, there is no way we will make in time and it is no longer viable. We haven't given up hope yet but with an almost 50% drop in the FIT are choices are very limited.